Author's note: This is a fic about Gohan. There may be other characters
that have big roles in the story, but it focuses mainly on Gohan. Some
characters may be OOC depending on how you view said characters. I have
many plans for Gohan and a general outline for the story, so things should
be updated pretty quickly unless I get stuck on something. I hope you enjoy
reading the story.
Summary: Gohan is blinded by what happened at the Cell games. What will happen to him now that he can no longer see? Story will span time from Cell games to high school, the world martial arts tournament, and maybe further.
Disclaimer: No I don't own dragon ball z - otherwise Vegeta would be mine. All credit for characters go to their creator.
Author's Note: Hello everyone! This chapter is a little strange it - wasn't even in my original plans for the story. Anyway, I know I said that I was going to do an alternate ending thing, but I'm sorry to say that it isn't going to happen after all. I have totally lost what I wanted to do for the other ending, so I'm not doing it. Instead, if you guys want it by the time this story is done I'll do a sequel. I already have it planned out, so we'll see what happens after this story is done.
In this chapter I have some characters I made up, and believe me - they're essential to this chapter. However, this is the only chapter they appear in, so don't freak out at me about original characters - after this chapter there wont be any unless someone is talking about them briefly. So with that said, I own the characters Yuki, Kenshin, Tsuyosa, Meiyo, and Fides - steal them and I'll hunt you down. However, requests to use them can be made.
I am sorry this has taken so long to come out. The original of this was 25 pages so it took a little while to write and then my beta reader also had to read and edit it. It seems i am incapable of doing short chapters. I have tried but it doesn't seem to work. Anyway i apologize for the delay but cut me a little slack next time guys. If i don't update for a while then it's for a good reason. Don't forget i do have a mailing list for the story if you want to be on it then leave your e-mail address in a review. Now on to the story.
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//...// Is telepathy
Are thoughts or rather hearing character speaking to themselves inside their heads
Just in case you didn't follow something Gohan is now 18 a Senior at Orange Star High school, Trunks is 7, Goten is 6 and both are home schooled by Bulma. Videl is also 18.
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A Glimpse of What Will Be
When Gohan opened his eyes he expected to be someplace like school or Capsule Corps. Instead, he seemed to be in an all white room almost exactly like the room of Spirit and Time at the lookout. Right on the heels of that observation, Gohan came to realize he could actually see - he wasn't blind anymore! Just as he began to get truly excited about it, a strange voice began to speak in his mind.
//Do not get too excited young one. Your ability to see again can only occur in this place. Once you return to the normal world you will be sightless once more. //
Gohan had started a little at the unfamiliar voice speaking in his mind. Throughout his years of training, Gohan had developed very strong barriers to protect his mind. So strong, in fact, that not even the Grand Kai could enter at will anymore. His surprise quickly turned to disappointment as he registered the words the voice had spoken. Shoving his disappointment into the back of his mind for later, Gohan focused on the moment and mentally sent out a question he really wanted to know the answer to.
//Who are you? Where am I? //
There was a moment of silence before the voice responded, still speaking mind to mind.
//You aren't really anywhere at the moment, young one. This place does not actually exist in your terms of reality. It is a place that moves outside of everything - including reality and time. A place to which a very few are brought to be tested and shown glimpses of their future. I am what you would call the Keeper of this place. Both this place and I are as old as time itself. We will always be here, catering only to the whims of fate and destiny. //
A few years ago, if something like this had happened, Gohan probably would've either passed out from shock or started mumbling unintelligible gibberish about hallucinations and not believed a word of anything. However, after visiting Otherworld regularly and getting involved in discussions about the universe and some of its mysteries with King Yenma, King Kai, and the Grand Kai - as well as discussing various other things relating to the complexities of other realities with his Grandfather Bardock and King Vegeta in hell - Gohan wasn't the least bit shocked by the information given to him. He was, however, curious about something and sent out a mental question.
//Why am I here? //
//You are here because fate and destiny have decided that you are to be tested and shown a glimpse of what you shall become during the rest of your life. //
The voice replied. It had a pleasant sounding quality, but at the same time it lacked emotion. Gohan was still a little puzzled by the events of the day and how he had gone from helping Videl out at the bank, to losing control over his mind due to pain in his head, to this white room, talking to some infinite being - or spirit - that wanted to test him and show him what he would be in the future. It only served to spark his curiosity even more since he couldn't detect any malicious intent from the voice.
//Do I have to take these tests or can I just say no and return to what you call the normal world? //
Again there was a moment of silence before the voice answered.
//It does not matter if you fail the tests or do not watch your future. You cannot go back until you have taken the tests and your future has been shown. Nothing of what happens here will affect you in the normal world. Very few beings are worthy of coming here, and never has one been inclined to refuse the tests or their future. You are indeed unique to ask that, young one. Are there any more questions? //
Gohan mulled over what the voice had just said. He hadn't really been going to refuse the tests or the chance to see the future - he'd just been curious to see if it was possible or not. He still had one more question to ask, though.
//I only have one more question, then we can begin. Has my father, Son Goku, ever been here?//
//No, young one. No one by the name of Son, Goku has come here. The first thing you must do is concentrate and close any open links to other people off in your mind. I sense that you have four open links, and that three are children. They will be affected by the tests if you continue to keep the links open. //
Gohan closed his mind and sought out the links. The three children were, of course, Marron, Trunks, and Goten. The other link was to Vegeta. He closed off the link with Vegeta first. Vegeta wouldn't be alarmed because Gohan closed off the link all the time. The children were harder. He couldn't talk to them for very long, but managed to send them impressions of reassurance before closing the links. Once the links were shut, Gohan opened his eyes again.
Back in Bulma's lab it had only been a couple minutes since Vegeta had busted down the door with Gohan in his arms. When Vegeta had come in carrying Gohan, Goten and Trunks had been playing with action figures in the corner while Bulma worked. They'd been surprised and upset that something was wrong with Gohan, but settled down once he'd been injected with the tranquillizer and calmed down. As Bulma and Vegeta argued, they returned to playing with their toys. Meanwhile, Vegeta was still staring at Gohan, trying to figure out what the hell went wrong with the boy - he'd been fine earlier! While Vegeta was puzzling, Bulma fumed and tried once again to talk to Vegeta.
"How come you managed to know that something was wrong with Gohan, get to him in time, and get back here just in time to inject him with a tranq, Vegeta?"
Vegeta gave mental sigh, deciding that Bulma obviously wasn't going to leave him alone until he told her what he knew.
"Well woman, I was busy training in the GR when the brat contacted me and told me something about pain overwhelming him and losing control. The link got cut off and when I tried to follow it, I was hit by immense amounts of pain. I took off towards the brat's ki and found him in that building you call a school, on the ground, with a bunch of ningens standing around the brat as he twitched and muttered nonsense on the floor. I picked him up and flew back here. On the way his ki kept rising fast and it felt the same as the day the brat's mother died. You know the rest, woman."
With that said, Vegeta turned his back on Bulma once again and continued to observe Gohan. Bulma was about to yell at him, but before she could open her mouth someone walked into the lab. It was Piccolo, and he didn't look happy. His gaze immediately turned towards the unconscious Gohan lying on the bed in the corner. An angry expression on his face, he turned to Vegeta.
"What the hell is wrong with Gohan, Vegeta? Why was his ki freaking out!?"
Vegeta growled in annoyance. It figured that the Namek would notice and come to see what was happening.
"The boy did something that caused him pain, he lost it, ect. Now leave me the fuck alone."
Piccolo growled right back and stalked over to Gohan. He put his hand out to touch the boy's forehead, but was immediate shocked by a miniature bolt of lightning coming from Gohan's body. Piccolo withdrew his hand immediately and, fierce scowl written on his face, turned to Bulma.
"What in the hell did you give him, Bulma? He isn't even in his own mind anymore!"
Bulma and Vegeta had both seen the lightning shock Piccolo and were just as puzzled. Bulma looked at Piccolo with a thoughtful frown before responding.
"I gave him the same stuff as last time, Piccolo. And if he isn't in his mind, then where is he? Is he ok?"
Up until now, the two chibis - Goten and Trunks - had been ignored by the adults as they continued to play with their toys in the corner. However, at Bulma's question they both got up and walked over to Piccolo, Bulma, and Vegeta, who were all standing next to Gohan's bed, watching him. Tugging on Bulma's sleeve to get her attention, Trunks spoke up.
"Don't worry mom. Gohan's ok - he'll be back soon. He said he wouldn't be gone long."
Goten nodded in agreement with Trunks' words. Bulma, Piccolo, and Vegeta just stared at the chibis in disbelief. Vegeta was the first to recover.
"What do you mean, boy? How do you know?"
This time it was Goten that spoke up.
"After you gave nii-chan that thing, he went off to a really far away place, and then he told us that he had to do something and that he couldn't talk to us for a little while. He said he had to close off all the links and we shouldn't worry 'cause he'd be back soon. What's a link, aunt Bulma?"
As soon as they heard what the chibis had to say, Piccolo and Vegeta searched for their links to Gohan, quickly discovering that he'd blocked them off. Neither was able to get past the block. While Bulma explained what Gohan had meant by a link to Goten and Trunks, Piccolo and Vegeta were left to wonder where the hell Gohan had gone and, more importantly, why.
While Piccolo and Vegeta were wondering where he was, Gohan was in the white room, waiting for the voice to tell him what was going to happen next.
//Now that you have closed off all outside links, we can begin. A warning: each test is separate from the others. While they may seem the same, each is testing something different. In a few tests, the only way to end the test is to give up, defeat what is there, or be forcibly defeated. You may be sent to alternate realities for some tests. Be assured - everything you encounter is real. Everything you see and come across, for all intents and purposes, will be real. Do not fool yourself into thinking it isn't. //
With that last word, the room became blurry and distorted colors began to bleed into the white. It was a very dizzying display, and Gohan had to close his eyes for a minute for fear of getting sick. When he opened his eyes again, he found that the room had changed. No longer was it pure white: instead, it had shifted to form a lush forest with huge trees and vines growing all over. Gohan could hear birds, as well as the sounds of other animals. Looking around more, he saw a slight trail leading off to one side. Deciding that it was as good a way as any, he began to follow it. After a few moments he reached the edge of the tree line. In front of him was a beautiful lake with a waterfall. Grass led to the sides of the lake, and in the lake itself, there were some good-sized boulders, perfect for sunning oneself. Sprawled in various spots in and around the lake were five beings of varying colors. As Gohan stepped into view, they immediately stopped their laughing and talking to stare at him. Since Gohan was on the opposite side of the lake from the beings, he couldn't really tell what they were or what sex they were.
One of the beings motioned for Gohan to come closer. As Gohan walked around the lake towards the beings, he was able to make out more details. They all appeared to be females, but each one was different from the other. The one that had motioned to him had purple skin with long green hair. Her face was elfin in appearance, with long pointed ears. Running from the left side of her forehead to the right side of her jaw were four green lines that sparkled in the light. Her body was long and slim, wearing what seemed to be an outfit made of leaves covering her chest and her nether regions only.
The being sitting next to her was dramatically different in appearance. Gray skinned, she appeared to be almost made of stone. As if to make up for the slightly gloomy effect, her hair was cut very short close to her head, spiky, and shocking white in color. Unlike the other being, this one's face was not so angular, and she did not have the pointed ears. Her whole body seemed to be covered in tattoos of swirling designs - they even dissapeared under the black leather shorts and tank top she was wearing.
The next being was paying no attention to Gohan whatsoever - in fact, she was busy playing with something in her hands. Her skin was light blue in color, and a beautiful contrast to her dark pink hair that was in a braid to her ankles. Her outfit seemed to be made of scales that reflected the sunlight. She had an upturned nose and eyes like a cat - up tilted at the corners.
By far the most fascinating of the beings was the one that was currently glaring at Gohan as he made his way around the lake. She had bright red skin and long, silky looking black hair. However, sticking out through her hair were two black horns that curled backwards. She bared her teeth in Gohan's direction, and he could see that she had prominent fangs like Piccolo. Behind her a long, thin black tail lashed through the air, almost like a whip, indicating her displeasure. A skirt and a top made of chain mail completed the look, and made her the scariest by far in Gohan's book.
Sitting very calmly next to her was the last being, and the one that looked to be the most peaceful to Gohan. This being had tan skin and yellow hair framing her face in a bob style. Her face was very calm and composed, her blue eyes watching Gohan steadily as he made his way closer. From her back sprouted gossamer butterfly wings made of all the colors in the world. Her attire seemed to be made of the same silk a caterpillar makes into a cocoon. Gohan finally made it to where the beings were waiting, and stopped about ten feet away. He gave a short bow before he began speaking.
"Hello, my name is Son Gohan. Can you please tell me where we are?"
The being that had first beckoned to him, and seemed to be the leader, spoke.
"We know who you are, mortal. You have come here to be tested. We will be your guides through your tests. My name is Yuki. My sister, with the pink hair, is Fides. Next to her, with the white hair, is Meiyo. Tsuyosa has the black hair and red skin, and Kenshin is the one with wings. Are you ready to begin the tests?"
Gohan was pondering the names he had just heard. Yuki meant courage, Fides was honesty in Latin, Meiyo meant honor, Kenshin was commitment, and Tsuyosa was strength. He wondered if the names were of any significance to the tests. Deciding now wasn't exactly the time to figure things out, he nodded to Yuki to indicate that he was ready. Once he nodded, the being that had been introduced as Kenshin got up from her seat on the grass. She flexed her wings once before walking over to Gohan.
"I will lead you through your first test, mortal. Make sure your mind and heart are strong, for that will be what makes you pass or fail in this test."
With that, Kenshin reached out and touched Gohan on the shoulder. Immediately everything began shifting around and getting blurry again. After a few seconds it stopped and everything cleared to reveal Kenshin and Gohan standing on a cliff by the sea. After a moment, Kenshin turned to Gohan. Butterfly wings reflecting the sunlight, she began to speak.
"We are on what you call Earth now - a planet you have defended many times in the past. After your father died, you swore to protect this planet as he did. How firm is your commitment?"
Gohan was a little surprised about how much this being knew about him, but answered the question almost immediately.
"I would give my life if need be to protect this planet and everyone on it."
Kenshin smiled at him before pointing behind him and speaking.
"A noble sentiment, mortal, and it is fortunate you feel that way: because behind you is someone brought to test if what you say is true. Defeat him and your planet will live in peace. Fail and he may do what he wishes."
Gohan turned around only to get kicked straight in the face and sent tumbling back a couple of yards. Getting up quickly, Gohan settled into his stance and looked at his opponent. Gohan's jaw dropped - there, standing where he had been moments before, was Frieza in his final form, and seeming to be a lot stronger than before. Kenshin was sitting on a boulder not far away, watching in interest. Frieza began to speak.
"It has been a while since we last fought, monkey. This time I won't lose, and your mud ball of a planet will be mine."
With that, Frieza attacked. Gohan immediately jumped up to SSJ2 to counter Frieza's new strength. After a few minutes of fierce fighting, with neither fighter landing a hit, they took the battle to the air. Frieza landed the first solid hit by tricking Gohan with a feint. He managed to smack the boy across the back with his tail with enough force to send Gohan crashing into the nearby cliffs. Gohan immediately came back and began attacking Frieza, finally landing his first solid hit with an elbow to the ice-jins face. The battle continued on, neither fighter taking the advantage. Frieza continued to shout insults and threats, but Gohan concentrated on the fight. Then Frieza began to get the upper hand. He managed to wrap his tail around Gohan's neck and capture the boy in a bear hug similar to what Cell had done years before. Gohan still refused to give up, and after a few minutes briefly flared up to SSJ3 - just long enough to break the hold. He finally got an idea on how to beat the ice-jin after he and Frieza finished a ki blast duel. When they next met, Gohan quickly elbowed Frieza in the face and drove a knee into his stomach. Flying back a few feet, Gohan held his outspread fingers up to his eyes.
"SOLAR FLARE"
As he shouted the technique, Gohan formed a destructo disk in one hand and, while the ice-jin was blinded by the solar flare, threw it straight at his head. Frieza had no chance. Krillin's technique sliced straight through Frieza's neck, separating head from shoulders. Just to be on the safe side, Gohan formed a Kamehameha and turned the body to ashes. Bruised, bloody, and a little burnt, he returned to where Kenshin was sitting. As he approached her, she spoke.
"You have passed my test mortal. Your commitment to this world is true and will not waver, even in the face of defeat."
With that, she got up walked over to him, touching his shoulder like before. Again everything around Gohan began to waver and blur, and a moment later the lake with the other beings reappeared. Amazingly, all the wounds Gohan sustained in his fight with Frieza had healed, and his clothes were no longer ripped and torn. Kenshin left his side and walked over to the other beings to address them.
"He has passed my test. It is time for the next one."
As Kenshin sat down, the one Gohan remembered being referred to as Meiyo got up and began walking over to him. The tattoos that covered her body shifted as she walked, making them seem even more swirly than before. She didn't say anything to him as she reached to touch his shoulder and, as the blurriness faded, Gohan found himself standing next to her on a puffy white cloud up in the sky. Meiyo finally turned to him and spoke in a very melodious voice.
"You have passed the first test, the test of Commitment. This is the test of Honor. I can see from the pendant you wear that you are a Saiyan. Your race it not widely held to be honorable, so we shall see how you do. Sit down and we shall begin."
She dropped into a lotus position on top of the cloud and waited for him to do the same. Once Gohan had gotten settled, she drew an invisible symbol in the air before speaking.
"I will ask you questions you will answer them the best you can. If what you say is true, the symbol I just drew will glow green. If what you say is not true, then it will glow red. Answer yes or no then explain your answer. Are you ready mortal."
Gohan was happy he didn't have to fight another enemy, but wasn't too happy about what Meiyo had said about Saiyans and their honor, even though it was probably (for the most part) true. He nodded his head towards Meiyo to indicate his readiness. Meiyo opened her mouth and spoke.
"Do you honor your mother?"
"Yes. I honor her by studying like she wanted me to do and by telling my younger brother about her."
In the middle of the air a green glow came from the symbol.
"Do you honor your father?"
"Yes. I honor my father by taking over the responsibility of protecting our planet so everyone may live in peace."
Again the symbol shone a soft green. Meiyo continued to ask questions, ranging from his honor towards his enemies to his honoring his teachers. After each of his answers, the symbol would glow green. Finally Meiyo had one last question.
"Do you honor yourself?"
Gohan had to think about that at first, but after a moment he responded softly.
"I honor myself by taking pride in what I have accomplished. I honor myself by staying true to my nature, and I honor myself by passing down what I know to others."
The symbol glowed bright green, and stayed green this time. Gohan looked at Meiyo to find her looking curiously at him. It was a moment before she said anything.
"You have passed my test, mortal. You have honor. People who pass the first test often fail during this one. Continue to honor those in your life, and remember to honor yourself."
With that said, she motioned him to stand. As he did, she reached out and touched his shoulder, once again making the blurriness appear before revealing the lake with the other beings once more. Meiyo left Gohan's side to walk over and sit down by the others, calmly announcing the results as she sat.
"He has passed my test. He possesses honor as well as commitment. He is ready for the next test."
After Meiyo stopped talking, the being that Gohan had dubbed their leader, and had introduced herself as Yuki, walked over to him. As she made her way over, she spoke.
"Be prepared, mortal. My test is not easy - steel yourself for a difficult task."
By the end of her sentence she had reached Gohan and laid her hand on his shoulder. Everything blurred then settled, and Gohan found himself standing on a pillar of rock in the middle of a canyon, Yuki by his side. After a moment, Yuki stepped to stand in front of Gohan. She was very tall and able to look him in the eyes as she spoke.
"It is time to see if your courage can stand up to the test, mortal. What is your greatest fear?"
Gohan knew the answer to that immediately.
"That Goten, Marron, or Trunks will get into trouble, and I will fail in helping them."
Yuki pondered that for a moment before making a mysterious wave of her hand and then speaking.
"Look behind me at the canyon, mortal - the first part of your test lays there."
Gohan walked past Yuki to the edge of the pillar and looked into the canyon. On the far wall about halfway down was Goten, standing on a little ledge that had just enough room for him to stand with his back against the wall. When he caught sight of Gohan he began to call out.
"Nii-chan! Help me! I can't get down! I can't fly anymore!"
Gohan whirled around angrily to face Yuki, who was watching with an impassive expression.
"What the hell is this? Why can't he fly?"
Yuki just raised an eyebrow as she responded.
"His powers have been temporarily removed, just as yours have been. I will take you over to the top of the canyon wall, but from there you must do it alone. Do you have what it takes to rescue your brother?"
Gohan was pissed, but helpless to do anything until he got Goten to safety. Yuki waved her hand, and suddenly Gohan was at the top of the wall where Goten was trapped. Immediately Gohan lay down on his stomach and peered over the edge so he could get an idea of how far down it would be. As he spotted the spiky mop of hair that could only be Goten's, he estimated that it was a good fifty feet down from where he was. Luckily as Gohan examined the side of the canyon, he noticed that there were both handholds and footholds. Deciding that it was the only way, Gohan turned around and began to slide over the edge of the canyon wall. Finding his first footholds, Gohan composed himself and began to move down the wall slowly, always making sure of his hand and footholds. With no abilities and no ropes holding him up, if he fell there would be nothing to halt his fall and no one left to save Goten. With that in mind, he was even more careful placing his feet and hands. After a few minutes he was sweating hard with the strain of slowly lowering himself inch by inch and the heat of the sun. Twice he almost slipped when he didn't have a very good foothold, but still he continued on. After about half an hour he was only a foot or two away from Goten, and he could hear the younger boy calling out.
"Nii-chan! Please hurry! I don't like this, I want to go home!"
Gohan climbed lower until he was level with Goten's ledge, but off to the side. Looking at his little brother's tear streaked face, Gohan spoke in a soothing voice.
"I'm here now, Goten. We'll get you out of this, ok? Now, I need you to slowly climb on my back like we're taking a piggyback ride. You're going to have to wrap your legs around my waist really tight, and wrap your arms around my neck - but be careful not to choke me. Then I will climb up the wall and everything will be fine, okay?"
Goten nodded, and Gohan braced himself as he felt his brother begin to climb onto his back, gripping tight to his handholds and footholds because of the extra weight. Once Goten was settled properly, Gohan began the slow, tortuous climb back up the wall. It was both harder and easier than climbing down. This way he could see the hand and footholds, but he also had a lot more weight. It took Gohan almost forty-five minutes to make the climb back up the wall. Finally he did make it, and as soon as he pulled himself over the edge of the wall Goten disappeared and Yuki stood before him. While Gohan continued to pant and drip sweat from his climb, Yuki spoke.
"You are an interesting one, mortal. Most would have given up at that challenge and doomed their loved ones, or not been strong enough to make it all the way, and failed in the end."
"It seems that you have passed my test. You posses the courage that you need, as well as commitment and honor."
She then touched his shoulder, and after the blur cleared they were back at the lake, Gohan feeling refreshed and back to normal. Yuki walked over to the others and announced the result.
"He has passed my test. He has courage as well as commitment and honor. He is ready for the next test."
At Yuki's words Fides, the being dressed in scales, stood up and walked over to Gohan. Her hand just lightly brushed his shoulder as everything blurred and began to reappear. Unlike the last three places, which had all been outdoors, Gohan now found himself to be inside of something. It was a dome shaped room, and the dome itself was glass, through which Gohan could see millions of stars and planets surrounding them. The floor he was standing on was made of a silvery metal, and was very smooth. In the middle of the room was a glowing white orb on a stand. Fides walked over to the orb and, putting one hand on top, she turned back to look at Gohan.
"You have passed three of the other tests, mortal. However - not many can pass mine. Most beings are not honest with themselves and give me false answers. We shall learn if you are honest in what you do. Come, step closer to the orb."
By now Gohan had figured out how things were going. When he had first been introduced to the five beings, he had wondered if their names held any significance, and after three of the tests he was sure he was right. So far each of the beings - Kenshin, Yuki, Meiyo, and now Fides - had tested him on what their names meant. He had been tested on commitment with Kenshin, honor with Meiyo, and courage with Yuki. Now it was apparently time to be tested on honesty with Fides, and he was sure it wasn't just about lying to people. It occurred to Gohan that all of this was very surreal, feeling as if it was part of a dream, yet at the same time he knew it wasn't because of the physical contact. Gohan slowly walked over to stand in front of the orb and looked at Fides questioningly. Fides smiled slightly and began to speak.
"There are two kinds of honesty: honesty towards others, and honesty towards oneself. You must have both to past my test. For the first part you must put your hands on the orb. The orb will show us if you are honest with others."
Fides reached over picked up both of Gohan's hands and gently placed them on top of the orb. Immediately the orb began to change colors, and Gohan felt it start to heat up beneath his hands. In the swirling colors of the orb, Gohan could catch fleeting images of himself through various stages of life - with other people and without. However, the images were gone to fast for him to make out exactly what they were. For the next twenty minutes the orb continued its swirling of images - the heat continuing to grow, but it was nothing Gohan couldn't bear. Throughout the ordeal, Fides kept her eyes on the orb, as if she could see something Gohan couldn't. Which, now that Gohan thought about it, was a very distinct possibility.
A minute later the orb returned to its previous white, and the heat underneath Gohan hands faded. Fides pulled her eyes away from the orb and looked up straight into Gohan's eyes. As she stared at him Gohan was a little freaked out - Fides' eyes had changed so they were like the orb had been a minute ago, a chaotic swirling of colors and images. After another moment of just staring into Gohan's eyes, Fides dropped her gaze back down to the orb and spoke.
"You may take your hands off the orb, mortal. You have passed the first part of the test. You have honesty towards others."
Gohan took his hands away from the orb and was slightly surprised to find them slightly numb. He moved back a couple of steps and tried to shake the feeling back into them. He stopped after a minute and looked up to find Fides looking at him and smiling slightly. He grinned a little sheepishly and shrugged in apology. Fides just smiled a little more before speaking again.
"You now have to pass the second part of this test. Do you have honesty towards yourself? Come over and stand next to me and we shall find out."
Gohan slowly walked over to Fides, and when he was about a foot away she motioned for him to halt.
"Make sure your mind and heart are steady and clear."
She then moved closer to him, gently placing her index and middle fingers on each of his temples.
"I will ask you a question. Think carefully and search your heart and mind before you answer. You may take your time in answering - this is not something to be rushed. Through my contact with you I can determine if you are being honest with yourself in your answer. Are you ready, mortal?"
Gohan took a couple of deep, calming breathes, closed his eyes, relaxed his body, then nodded yes. At his nod, Fides asked her first question.
"Are you happy with what you have become?"
Gohan had been expecting a question like this, but it still made him think. He had to think about everything that he had done with his life so far and just what kind of person he had become because of it. Finally, after running everything through his mind once more, he spoke one word.
"Yes."
White light briefly flared from his temples and Fides' fingers. She smiled, then asked the next question.
"If you could, would you go back in time and prevent your uncle from kidnapping you, and therefore changing the course of your life?"
That was a question Gohan hadn't expected at all. It had never been an issue to him since he knew it wasn't possible. Sure he had wondered what it would have been like if he hadn't been kidnapped, but he never gave it more than a fleeting thought. Looking back now and thinking hard about it, he found his answer.
"No. As much as I don't like what happened, I wouldn't change it because I wouldn't be who I am today, and neither would others around me."
Again white light flared at his temples and Fides' fingers as she worked her powers. Once again she smiled before moving on to the next question.
"Do you have any doubts about your purpose in life at this time?"
Gohan knew the answer to that question immediately, but was stuck trying to figure out how to say it so that Fides would understand it correctly. After a minute, he felt he had it to where she could understand.
"My purpose in life is to protect those around me. In the past I have had doubts as to that purpose because of certain failures in that purpose. Now I have no doubts at all. it is what I was made to do and will always do. I may do other things in my life, but protecting others will always be my focus."
Once more the white light appeared, and when it faded Fides stepped back from Gohan. He opened his eyes slowly to see her smiling softly at him.
"You have passed the second part of the test, mortal. You are honest with your self. In all you have honesty, as well as honor, commitment, and courage. You are very strange for a mortal - you possess qualities that neither human nor Saiyan have much of, and yet they seem to shine through you. Maybe there is some hope left for all."
With that strange comment, Fides walked over to Gohan, again only barely brushing his shoulder. A second later they were back at the lake. Fides walked over and joined the others on the grass, announcing the verdict as she sat.
"He has passed the test. He posses honesty as well as honor, courage, and commitment. He is ready for the last test."
The only being left now was the one introduced as Tsuyosa, and the only one that had flat out glared at Gohan when he had first appeared. She stood up, shaking her black hair behind her as the sunlight glinted off the horns on her head as well as the chain mail outfit she wore. Stepping gracefully around the others, she made her way over to Gohan, black whip-like tail swishing slowly behind her. When she was about a foot away, she stopped and spoke.
"You have made it through all the tests but mine, mortal. Know this: I do not expect you to make it through this one. Only one other has ever done so, and that was quite some time ago. Be prepared to fight."
With that last sentence, she reached out a long red finger and tapped Gohan on the nose. As everything blurred and wavered, Gohan was left wondering what Tsuyosa meant. When everything cleared, Gohan found himself in a desert with scattered rocks and plateaus in the surrounding area. He turned to look at Tsuyosa, only to find her staring at him. As he raised a questioning brow she spoke.
"I find you strange, mortal. You are young - the youngest one to ever come and be tested - and yet you have managed to pass all of the other four tests. You must be very special to fate and destiny for them to send you to us at such a young age. However, to earn our respect you still have this last test to pass. You must prove your strength to me. None of your powers have been blocked, so fight well."
With that, Tsuyosa floated over to a rock and casually waved her hand. Gohan looked in the direction she waved and winced slightly.
Oh shit, this is going to be just a little difficult.
Standing about twenty feet in front of him was Frieza, Cell, the Ginyu Force, android 17, and Cooler. Gohan powered up to SSJ2 and all the villains looked at one another, nodded, and then attacked. Cell and Frieza reached Gohan first, attacking from either side with ki blasts. Gohan quickly shot into the air and began to formulate a plan. As he was trading blows with both Frieza and Cell up in the air, he noticed android 17 and Cooler hanging back while the Ginyu force watched from the ground. Gohan decided to get rid of the weakest fighters first. He slammed his elbow into Frieza's face, causing the ice-jin to fall and hit the ground with a smack, and kneed Cell hard enough in the stomach to leave the android gasping for air. Immediately Gohan raised his hands into an x formation on his forehead and shouted.
"MASENKO HA!"
The blast flew down to where the Ginyu force was standing and, like that coyote on those American cartoons, they just stood there and watched stupidly until the blast hit them. Gohan was then sent plummeting to the ground courtesy of both Frieza and Cell kicking him while he'd been distracted by the Ginyu force. Rolling out from the crater his body had made, narrowly avoiding a ki blast from Cell in the process, Gohan decided he wasn't going to fool around anymore and began to power up. Within a couple seconds, the force of his aura was pushing everyone back. Cell, Frieza, 17, and Cooler were shielding their eyes and trying to stay still - only Tsuyosa seemed unaffected, and was currently watching Gohan with a gleam in her black eyes.
Then Gohan let out a huge scream, and when the light faded he stood there in SSJ3 form. Before they'd even managed to recover from their shock at Gohan's new appearance, Frieza and Cooler were both sent smashing into the ground by Gohan and his newly increased strength and speed. Gohan had only enough time to send a short Kamehameha after Frieza before being attacked by both 17 and Cell. As he was trading punches with 17 and Cell, Gohan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Cooler was getting up from the crater he'd made. Frieza was bloodied, burnt, and looked to be dead, but Gohan didn't count him out quite yet.
Cooler flew up and joined 17 and Cell in fighting Gohan, and it was at about that point that Gohan began to lose. He'd beaten Cell in SSJ2 form before, his dad had beaten Cooler as a Super Saiyan, and 17 had been beaten in SSJ2 form as well - However, combined all three bad guys had enough power and tricks to give Gohan a hard time, even in the SSJ3 form. Gohan still had his trump card to use as a last resort, though. If things got too desperate, he could always open up the door in his mind and access that power. But frankly, that was the last thing Gohan wanted to do, so he pushed himself and powered up all he could and began thinking up strategies, while still trying to hold off Cell, Cooler, and 17.
A couple of blocks and dodges, as well as some punches and ki blasts, later Gohan knew what he was going to do. Putting two fingers to his forehead, he Instant Transmissioned himself out of the way of Cooler's kick and over to Frieza's body. Checking first to make sure the ice-jin was actually dead, Gohan continued with his plan. He grabbed Frieza's body in time to dodge a ki blast from Cell. Using the Instant Transmission again, he appeared behind 17. As 17 whirled around to face him, Gohan threw Frieza's body at the android. Instinctively 17 caught Frieza's body, and in doing so left him wide open to the massive ki blast Gohan had been hiding. The second the blast hit 17 and disintegrated both his and Frieza's bodies, Gohan heard the words.
"BIG BANG ATTACK!"
And was sent slamming into the ground from the attack by Cell. Immediately after hitting the ground, Gohan was attacked by Cooler. Cooler relentlessly began a barrage of punches and kicks, most of which Gohan was unable to dodge or block. After a vicious tail whip by Cooler, Gohan was sent slamming into one of the many large rocks surrounding the area. Almost casually, Cooler sent a ki blast into the rock to blow it up. As the dust from the blast cleared, Gohan, still in SSJ3 form, came stumbling out. He was battered and bloody, but a look of grim determination blazed across his face. Mustering his power together, he flew at Cooler and knocked the ice- jin into a rock far away. Immediately he turned to look at Cell who was grinning triumphantly. Gohan began to charge up a Kamehameha and Cell began to do the same. At the last moment, Gohan copied a move from his father and disappeared, then reappeared right behind Cell, before releasing the blast straight into the androids back.
Gohan's Kamehameha tore through Cell's midsection and sent him flying into the distance. Turning his attention back to Cooler, who'd recovered and was now speeding towards him, Gohan thought back to his earlier test when he fought Frieza alone. He remembered how he had defeated the other ice-jin, and decided that it was worth a try. As Cooler got closer, Gohan held his spread out fingers next to his eyes for the second time that day and, when Cooler was about fifty feet away, shouted.
"SOLAR FLARE!"
Sure enough, Cooler was caught full in the face by the attack and was vulnerable to the two destructo disks Gohan sent careening towards him. One sliced through his neck, and the other through his waist. Unfortunately, this time Gohan wasn't able to disintegrate the body because Cell was back and as good as new. As they traded blows, Cell and Gohan were remembering their last battle together from the Cell games. Then Cell managed to get a good kick in, which sent Gohan into a pile of rocks. When the demi-Saiyan climbed out, he was no longer in SSJ3 form. Instead, he'd been forced to drop into SSJ2. He'd used the other form as much as he could, but his body could no longer generate the energy that level three seemed to require.
Cell was in no better shape than Gohan, even though he was in his perfect form and had increased in strength because of their last battle. Fighting with an SSJ3 Gohan had taken its toll on his energy and body as well. As Gohan finished climbing out of the rocks, Cell landed and both fighters stared at each other with hate filled eyes. Taking in each other's bruised and bloody appearances, as well as assessing the power levels and weak spots, they found each other to be almost equal. Cell was the first to speak.
"You certainly have increased your power, boy, but it still will do you no good. I am the perfect being and I will win this time. There is nothing here to make you angry enough to be able to defeat me."
Gohan just laughed before responding, his clothes hanging in tatters on his body.
"I don't need to be angry to defeat you Cell - I can do it without any other powers. You will never defeat me while I live, and not when I finally come to the after life. You are doomed to be constantly defeated by me."
At those words, Cell let out a scream of rage and the fight was back on. They were going at it with brutal intensity now, and total savagery - holding nothing back and making sure each hit left a mark and caused pain. Neither one had to worry about outside distractions, and each could concentrate completely on the battle. This time Cell didn't have to worry about any other fighters distracting him, and Gohan didn't have to worry about any enemies trying to sneak up behind him.
Almost as if by mutual consent, both fighters moved away from each other and began to charge up Kamehamehas. It looked as if this fight would be decided like the last one had -with a ki blast duel.
"Ka"
"Ka"
"Me"
"Me"
"Ha"
"Ha"
"Me"
"Me"
"HA!"
"HA!"
Both Cell and Gohan shouted the final word of the attack, and their Kamehameha waves clashed. The intense heat generated by the two blasts by itself was incredible, not to mention the sheer size. At first it seemed as if neither beam would get the upper hand, but then Cell's began to slowly inch forward and overpower Gohan's. Gohan just gritted his teeth together and pushed more power into his blast, beginning to push Cell's blast back. Now it was Cell who was gritting his teeth and pouring more power in his blast. Just as Cell began to overpower Gohan again, he heard a scream and felt an enormous surge of power through Gohan's blast, and his last thought before he was overpowered and disintegrated by the blast was;
Damn! That fucking kid beat me again. It can't be possible!
Back on the battlefield, recalling what had happened the last time he fought Cell, Gohan pushed all his remaining energy into a block as the backlash from such a huge blast washed over him. Once it all faded, he uncrossed his arms and slowly descended to the ground. The power from the two blasts had created a crater directly under their feet, so Cell and Gohan had actually finished their battle in the air instead of on the ground. Once he was on the ground, Gohan ignored all of his screaming muscles, bones, and wounds to sit cross-legged and put his chin in cupped hands and just stare at the ground. Strangely enough throughout the whole battle he had been sort of detached from it all. He hadn't felt the overwhelming anger he usually did when he thought of Cell. It was as if all of his emotions had turned off for that fight and now that it was over they were all coming back.
In order to finally overpower Cell, Gohan had to let the door in his mind open up a little to give him that last extra boost of power. Now he was stuck trying to close the door up again. It wanted to continue to open up and release everything inside. Even with the small amount of power Gohan had released, he hadn't been in total control and was now struggling to regain it all. Finally Gohan managed to wrestle control back, and slam the door closed. Just as he was mentally putting the locks down, he sensed another presence near. He looked up to find Tsuyosa standing in front of him, look of admiration on her face. She walked over to him and pulled him to his feet. Once he was standing, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before speaking.
"You are indeed a most amazing mortal. There are not many beings in the universe stronger than the last one you faced. For this test I pulled the people who you deemed were hard fights in the past. It is astounding that you were able to defeat them one on one when you were younger, let alone all of them together now. If I am not mistaken, the last being you battled was the one that cost you your eyesight. Am I correct?"
Gohan was little on the embarrassed side. Tsuyosa hadn't been very confident or supportive of him passing this test, but now that he had she was all praises and sweetness. It was a little unnerving to say the least. Gohan just gave a kind of mental shrug before he answered.
"Yes. I'm a lot stronger now than when I was eleven. We had a ki blast duel like that one and with help from my father I won. At the time, I was so exhausted and drained of power that I couldn't block the backlash, so it burned my face and eyes. Even Dende and the Dragonballs couldn't fix all of the damage and restore my sight."
Tsuyosa nodded in understanding, then reached out and brushed Gohan's shoulder with one hand. Everything blurred, and a moment later they were at the lake where the other four females were staring expectantly at Tsuyosa. She stepped forward, smiled, and spoke.
"He possesses strength as well as courage, commitment, honor, and honesty. He has passed all five tests and is ready to receive our mark."
All five women gathered around Gohan, offering congratulations and praise. Gohan noticed that his clothes had been repaired and all his wounds had been healed, just like they had been after the first fight with Frieza. Fides and Kenshin each gave him a kiss on the cheek along with their congratulations. Gohan really had no clue what he was supposed to do, so he just stood there enduring all of the attention. However, something Tsuyosa had said earlier was bothering him, so he decided to ask.
"Excuse me Yuki, what did Tsuyosa mean by I was ready to receive your mark?"
Yuki stopped in mid sentence and looked at Gohan. The others fell silent as Yuki began to explain.
"To be sent here alone is a great honor that only a very few receive, and to pass even one of the tests is considered to be a great accomplishment. To pass all five tests is the second highest accomplishment in the universe. In order to let everyone know that you did indeed pass all five tests, you will receive a mark that will stay with you forever - even into the after life. Anyone with sensing abilities, no matter how small or untrained, will be able to recognize the mark as something special, and most will recognize it for what it is. Do you understand?"
Gohan was totally surprised - he honestly hadn't expected this whole thing to be as big of a deal as it now appeared to be. He definitely hadn't expected it to be some huge accomplishment in the eyes of the whole universe! So he was still a little dazed when Yuki spoke again.
"Hold out your left wrist with the inside facing up and be ready to receive our mark, Son Gohan."
Gohan numbly held out his left wrist facing upward towards Yuki, who stood in front of him - briefly registering the fact that Yuki had called him by his real name for the first time since he'd come here. On Yuki's right side was Tsuyosa, and on her left was Fides. On Gohan's left side and next to Tsuyosa was Kenshin, and on his right side next to Fides was Meiyo. All five women stretched out their index fingers to touch Gohan's wrist just below his hand. Their fingers formed sort of a box with Yuki's finger in the middle. They all paused for a moment, then Yuki spoke a word in a strange language that Gohan didn't recognize. The other four women responded in the same language, and the fingers touching Gohan's wrist began to glow white. The skin underneath their fingers began to get hot, and just as it was getting unbearable, the light faded and the heat stopped. All five beings stepped back from Gohan and he looked down at his wrist.
Right under his hand on his wrist was a brand new tattoo. It was a circle, and inside the big circle was another smaller circle. Four lines led from the big circle to the smaller one, and all the lines were the same amount of space apart, but the most important thing was the symbols. In each section the lines created there was a symbol. The right one, closest to his hand, was the symbol for honesty. On the left closest to his hand was the symbol for strength. The space on the right closest to the rest of his arm was the symbol for honor, and on the left was the symbol for commitment. Inside the smaller circle in the middle of the big circle was the symbol for courage. Where each being had touched, she had left her mark. Gohan looked up to find that all five females were looking at him questioningly. He smiled and said.
"I love it. It looks great. Thank you for all you have done for me."
And he meant what he said. He loved the way the tattoo looked and thought it was really cool. He could also feel an interesting aura emanating from the tattoo, kind of like the ones that surround King Kai and Grand Kai, but a little different. Yuki smiled at him and spoke.
"It is time for you to go, Son Gohan, and time for you to see a glimpse of what your life will be. You are always welcome in this place, and we wish you good luck in all that you do. Do not forget what you have learned here."
Gohan nodded and bowed to each female, saying his goodbyes. Finally he rose from bowing to Yuki and she waved both hands in the air. Once again, everything surrounding Gohan began to blur. Finally the blurriness stopped and Gohan found that he was back inside the completely white room. Not even a minute had passed before the voice from before began to talk to Gohan inside his mind.
//You are indeed very special, young one. I can feel that you have managed to pass all five tests and receive the mark. It is now time for you to see a glimpse of what you will become in the future. I must warn you to keep in mind that these are only glimpses of a small part of the whole, and most likely wont show major events. Some things may not make senses until they actually happen to you. It will continue to show images up until your death, but it will not show your death itself or the cause. Do you understand? //
At that moment Gohan was so nervous he felt like throwing up. So far throughout this whole thing he had been detached and able to stay calm and do what he had to do to pass the test: now he was faced with looking into his own future, and just the thought of the future gave him butterflies. He took a deep breath and sent a mental yes to the voice to indicate he understood. Out of nowhere a screen similar to a TV appeared. The screen was totally black, then it went to white, and finally to a picture.
The picture was of Gohan playing with Goten, Trunks, and Marron. They were playing tag in the air and Trunks was trying to catch him but couldn't. The scene then switched, and now it showed him and Vegeta in Saiyan armor in an arena. The armor was the interesting thing: Gohan's was black and red, he also had red streaks in his hair. In contrast, Vegeta's armor was black and blue, and the Saiyan prince had blue streaks in his hair. The scene switched again and now he saw himself graduating and being hugged by a girl with black hair and purple eyes. Immediately Gohan knew that the girl was Videl. That scene faded and another one appeared. This time he and Videl were standing in front of a dojo that had their names on it and posing for a picture. The next scene was of Gohan and Videl inside the dojo and teaching some kids martial arts. The scene changed, and in this new one Gohan was older looking, but still very young. He was carrying around a little girl that looked exactly like Bulma with Goten, Trunks, and Marron, who were all older, trailing behind him.
There were more scenes of him and the chibis, as well as some of the other Z fighters and more of him teaching inside the dojo. There was even one of him sparing with Videl. Then there was a scene of him sitting in a chair in front of a cabin out in the woods. Standing by his right side was Piccolo, and on his other side was Vegeta sprawled in another chair. They all appeared to be talking about something. After that scene, the screen went blank once again.
Gohan was puzzled. He had expected to see a lot more - he hadn't even looked like he reached past his late twenties in the last couple scenes. Then he thought back on what the voice had said before he watched the scenes, and came to a conclusion. Just as he was about to voice it out loud, the voice returned.
//You have guessed correctly, young one. You were not shown any more scenes because there were no more to be shown since you cannot be shown your death or your cause of death. Do you have any questions? //
Gohan was still in shock from finding out that he was going to die at such a young age. He had the strangest feeling that it wasn't going to be one of the deaths that could be fixed with the Dragonballs. Shoving all those thoughts to the back of his mind for later, he focused and asked the question he wanted to know.
//Are Videl and I more than friends? Will I have a mate before I die? //
Throughout the scenes, Gohan had noticed that he and Videl seemed to be very close, and he couldn't help but wonder if he would feel something romantic for her in time. The voice sounded almost regretful as it replied.
//Friendship is all you will find in Videl Satan, and no - you are destined to be without a mate. Are there any more questions, or do you wish to return to the normal world? //
Gohan just nodded a yes to the last question. His emotions were beginning to overwhelm him and get the better of him. He didn't trust himself to speak for fear of breaking down. The trauma and stress of all the tests he had gone through, fighting Cell again, as well as finding out that he would die young and without a mate was becoming too much for his mind and emotions to handle. As the white room began to blur and fade, he felt the last bit of control over his emotions slip and as he became aware of the world around him he began to break.
It had been nearly three hours since Gohan had been brought to Bulma's lab and given the tranquilizer. The last time he had been given one Gohan had been up and around two hours later, so Bulma was beginning to get a little worried. They knew that Gohan still wasn't back inside his mind yet, because Piccolo periodically tested the barrier to make sure. Vegeta was also concerned about the boy and wondered what the hell was happening with him. Only Goten and Trunks seemed relatively unconcerned as they played with their toys in the corner away from the adults.
As Piccolo leaned over to check on Gohan once again he notice something on Gohan's wrist taking a closer look with out getting to close Piccolo saw what it was and called out to Bulma and Vegeta.
"Bulma, Vegeta, come over here. Something just appeared on Gohan's left wrist that I think you should see."
Bulma and Vegeta walked over, curious to see what Piccolo was talking about. As they both leaned over to take a look, Piccolo spoke again.
"It's a tattooed circle with another circle inside with some lines and symbols. The only two symbols I could make out were commitment and strength."
Both Bulma and Vegeta looked at Gohan's wrist in surprise, and Bulma stated with some disbelief.
"He didn't have that when Vegeta brought him in a little while ago."
Vegeta nodded and Piccolo reached out to test the barrier around Gohan once again. Surprisingly he didn't get shocked, so Piccolo reached for Gohan's wrist to better examine the tattoo. Extending a finger, Piccolo lightly touched the tattoo. Gohan's reaction was immediate. His body jackknifed into a sitting position, pulling his arm out of Piccolo's grasp. His sightless blue eyes were wide and darting everywhere, as if he thought he could still see. A second later the panicked look on his face faded, and instead his whole expression just crumpled and Gohan retreated to the corner against the wall on the bed dragging the blanket with him. He buried his face in his arms and muffled sobs could be heard from the eighteen-year- old boy rocking himself in a corner.
When Gohan had reacted to Piccolo touching the tattoo, everyone had jumped, including the chibis. Surprise quickly turned to confusion and concern as they watched Gohan fall apart in front of their eyes. They all stood there as they watched him try to stifle his sobs and comfort himself by rocking. Goten and Trunks came over to stand next to Bulma, and even they looked concerned for the first time as they watched Gohan cry. He hadn't cried since Goku had died at the Cell games not even when Chi Chi had died. Piccolo and Vegeta watched helplessly, unsure of what to do. Just then Vegeta heard a tiny whispered voice in his head that could only be Gohan.
//Make them go away.//
Puzzled, Vegeta sent a mental inquiry back..
//Who? //
In return he was given a mental image of Bulma, Goten, and Trunks. Vegeta moved just in time to intercept Bulma as she began to move towards Gohan. Grabbing her arm he softly whispered in her ear.
"The brat wants you and the other two brats to get out of here. He either doesn't want you to see something, or hear something, so take the two brats to the park or something. I'll tell you when everything is fine here."
It was the quickest explanation he could come up with considering he had no idea why Gohan wanted Bulma and the kids out, but it worked. Goten and Trunks, who were still looking uneasily at Gohan, were taken out of the room with Bulma, most likely to go to her parent's house or to a park. Once they had left the room, Vegeta and Piccolo concentrated on the still sobbing teenager. By now the sobs had turned into the dry gasping for breath kind - the kind where you're crying so hard it's all you can do to suck in enough air to breathe. Looking at Vegeta, Piccolo decided to try and calm down the demi Saiyan.
"Gohan, what's wrong? You need to get control of yourself and tell us what happened."
Gohan just continued to rock and dry sob. It seemed as if he hadn't even heard Piccolo's words. Vegeta sighed. He knew something that would most definitely calm the brat down and relax him, but he also knew he would regret doing it in front of the Namek. However, he couldn't really stand and let the brat continue to break down like this. Plus the noise was irritating. So he decided to do it after all. Just before he began, he sent a thought to Piccolo.
//Cover your ears, Namek - you may not like what I'm going to do. //
Vegeta waited a second while Piccolo covered his ears before beginning. Very softly and slowly, Vegeta began to hum in a soothing tone. Slowly the humming began to get louder, and changed pitches back and forth. Then he also began to insert growls almost like counter points along with some soft purrs. Piccolo looked at Vegeta with disbelief. Even with his ears covered, he could hear what Vegeta was doing. Then he looked over at Gohan. He'd been so surprised by Vegeta that Piccolo hadn't noticed that it seemed to be working. Gohan's sobbing had died down as he began to control his breathing once again, and as Vegeta continued the strange song, or melody, Gohan began to calm down even more. He stopped rocking and his tensed up shoulders began to relax. As soon as Gohan's shoulders relaxed, Vegeta stopped his humming and walked over to lean against the wall at the head of the bed nearest to Gohan.
Piccolo was impressed in spite of himself. Little did he know that what Vegeta had done was something Saiyan parents did when their children wouldn't stop crying. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he caught the look on Vegeta's face, he decided against it. Instead he looked down at Gohan. The teenager had stopped sobbing and rocking, but his face was still hidden in his arms. Reaching out, Piccolo gently laid a hand on his shoulder and spoke.
"Gohan, come on: look at me and tell me what happened. Why were you crying just now? What happened to you?"
Gohan's shoulders raised and then dropped down again as he sighed. Lifting his tear streaked puffy face up to look at Piccolo, he held out his left arm and showed them the tattoo as he spoke in a shaky voice choked with tears.
"Do you recognize what this is Piccolo? If you don't, try probing it with your ki - you too Vegeta."
Piccolo and Vegeta both leaned closer to get a better look at the tattoo. Now that all of it was uncovered, they could see the other symbols on it. Before they had seen commitment and honor, but now they could also see honesty, courage, and strength. Piccolo had the feeling that he should recognize the tattoo but couldn't put his finger on it. Both Vegeta and Piccolo examined the tattoo with their ki senses and then actually gasped as they felt the ki infused in the tattoo. Piccolo recognized it as something similar to a Kai's, and Vegeta just felt it as something strange and almost holy. It was Vegeta who spoke up first.
"What the hell is that, and how did you get it, brat?
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Well that is my longest chapter yet. I can't believe it went that long. Actually I wanted to make it longer and include the explanation and talk with Vegeta and Piccolo but thought that it might just be too much to include in a chapter that is already 25 pages. Anyway, I have got to say this: READ THE AUTHOR NOTES at the beginning of the story, they explain some stuff. I have too many people asking me stuff that I have already answered in the authors notes.
Well everyone, it's time for you to let me know what you think of this chapter! Do you like it? Love it? Hate it? Want to flame me? Go ahead and be a reviewer!
Next Chapter: Explanations
Summary: Gohan is blinded by what happened at the Cell games. What will happen to him now that he can no longer see? Story will span time from Cell games to high school, the world martial arts tournament, and maybe further.
Disclaimer: No I don't own dragon ball z - otherwise Vegeta would be mine. All credit for characters go to their creator.
Author's Note: Hello everyone! This chapter is a little strange it - wasn't even in my original plans for the story. Anyway, I know I said that I was going to do an alternate ending thing, but I'm sorry to say that it isn't going to happen after all. I have totally lost what I wanted to do for the other ending, so I'm not doing it. Instead, if you guys want it by the time this story is done I'll do a sequel. I already have it planned out, so we'll see what happens after this story is done.
In this chapter I have some characters I made up, and believe me - they're essential to this chapter. However, this is the only chapter they appear in, so don't freak out at me about original characters - after this chapter there wont be any unless someone is talking about them briefly. So with that said, I own the characters Yuki, Kenshin, Tsuyosa, Meiyo, and Fides - steal them and I'll hunt you down. However, requests to use them can be made.
I am sorry this has taken so long to come out. The original of this was 25 pages so it took a little while to write and then my beta reader also had to read and edit it. It seems i am incapable of doing short chapters. I have tried but it doesn't seem to work. Anyway i apologize for the delay but cut me a little slack next time guys. If i don't update for a while then it's for a good reason. Don't forget i do have a mailing list for the story if you want to be on it then leave your e-mail address in a review. Now on to the story.
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//...// Is telepathy
Are thoughts or rather hearing character speaking to themselves inside their heads
Just in case you didn't follow something Gohan is now 18 a Senior at Orange Star High school, Trunks is 7, Goten is 6 and both are home schooled by Bulma. Videl is also 18.
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A Glimpse of What Will Be
When Gohan opened his eyes he expected to be someplace like school or Capsule Corps. Instead, he seemed to be in an all white room almost exactly like the room of Spirit and Time at the lookout. Right on the heels of that observation, Gohan came to realize he could actually see - he wasn't blind anymore! Just as he began to get truly excited about it, a strange voice began to speak in his mind.
//Do not get too excited young one. Your ability to see again can only occur in this place. Once you return to the normal world you will be sightless once more. //
Gohan had started a little at the unfamiliar voice speaking in his mind. Throughout his years of training, Gohan had developed very strong barriers to protect his mind. So strong, in fact, that not even the Grand Kai could enter at will anymore. His surprise quickly turned to disappointment as he registered the words the voice had spoken. Shoving his disappointment into the back of his mind for later, Gohan focused on the moment and mentally sent out a question he really wanted to know the answer to.
//Who are you? Where am I? //
There was a moment of silence before the voice responded, still speaking mind to mind.
//You aren't really anywhere at the moment, young one. This place does not actually exist in your terms of reality. It is a place that moves outside of everything - including reality and time. A place to which a very few are brought to be tested and shown glimpses of their future. I am what you would call the Keeper of this place. Both this place and I are as old as time itself. We will always be here, catering only to the whims of fate and destiny. //
A few years ago, if something like this had happened, Gohan probably would've either passed out from shock or started mumbling unintelligible gibberish about hallucinations and not believed a word of anything. However, after visiting Otherworld regularly and getting involved in discussions about the universe and some of its mysteries with King Yenma, King Kai, and the Grand Kai - as well as discussing various other things relating to the complexities of other realities with his Grandfather Bardock and King Vegeta in hell - Gohan wasn't the least bit shocked by the information given to him. He was, however, curious about something and sent out a mental question.
//Why am I here? //
//You are here because fate and destiny have decided that you are to be tested and shown a glimpse of what you shall become during the rest of your life. //
The voice replied. It had a pleasant sounding quality, but at the same time it lacked emotion. Gohan was still a little puzzled by the events of the day and how he had gone from helping Videl out at the bank, to losing control over his mind due to pain in his head, to this white room, talking to some infinite being - or spirit - that wanted to test him and show him what he would be in the future. It only served to spark his curiosity even more since he couldn't detect any malicious intent from the voice.
//Do I have to take these tests or can I just say no and return to what you call the normal world? //
Again there was a moment of silence before the voice answered.
//It does not matter if you fail the tests or do not watch your future. You cannot go back until you have taken the tests and your future has been shown. Nothing of what happens here will affect you in the normal world. Very few beings are worthy of coming here, and never has one been inclined to refuse the tests or their future. You are indeed unique to ask that, young one. Are there any more questions? //
Gohan mulled over what the voice had just said. He hadn't really been going to refuse the tests or the chance to see the future - he'd just been curious to see if it was possible or not. He still had one more question to ask, though.
//I only have one more question, then we can begin. Has my father, Son Goku, ever been here?//
//No, young one. No one by the name of Son, Goku has come here. The first thing you must do is concentrate and close any open links to other people off in your mind. I sense that you have four open links, and that three are children. They will be affected by the tests if you continue to keep the links open. //
Gohan closed his mind and sought out the links. The three children were, of course, Marron, Trunks, and Goten. The other link was to Vegeta. He closed off the link with Vegeta first. Vegeta wouldn't be alarmed because Gohan closed off the link all the time. The children were harder. He couldn't talk to them for very long, but managed to send them impressions of reassurance before closing the links. Once the links were shut, Gohan opened his eyes again.
Back in Bulma's lab it had only been a couple minutes since Vegeta had busted down the door with Gohan in his arms. When Vegeta had come in carrying Gohan, Goten and Trunks had been playing with action figures in the corner while Bulma worked. They'd been surprised and upset that something was wrong with Gohan, but settled down once he'd been injected with the tranquillizer and calmed down. As Bulma and Vegeta argued, they returned to playing with their toys. Meanwhile, Vegeta was still staring at Gohan, trying to figure out what the hell went wrong with the boy - he'd been fine earlier! While Vegeta was puzzling, Bulma fumed and tried once again to talk to Vegeta.
"How come you managed to know that something was wrong with Gohan, get to him in time, and get back here just in time to inject him with a tranq, Vegeta?"
Vegeta gave mental sigh, deciding that Bulma obviously wasn't going to leave him alone until he told her what he knew.
"Well woman, I was busy training in the GR when the brat contacted me and told me something about pain overwhelming him and losing control. The link got cut off and when I tried to follow it, I was hit by immense amounts of pain. I took off towards the brat's ki and found him in that building you call a school, on the ground, with a bunch of ningens standing around the brat as he twitched and muttered nonsense on the floor. I picked him up and flew back here. On the way his ki kept rising fast and it felt the same as the day the brat's mother died. You know the rest, woman."
With that said, Vegeta turned his back on Bulma once again and continued to observe Gohan. Bulma was about to yell at him, but before she could open her mouth someone walked into the lab. It was Piccolo, and he didn't look happy. His gaze immediately turned towards the unconscious Gohan lying on the bed in the corner. An angry expression on his face, he turned to Vegeta.
"What the hell is wrong with Gohan, Vegeta? Why was his ki freaking out!?"
Vegeta growled in annoyance. It figured that the Namek would notice and come to see what was happening.
"The boy did something that caused him pain, he lost it, ect. Now leave me the fuck alone."
Piccolo growled right back and stalked over to Gohan. He put his hand out to touch the boy's forehead, but was immediate shocked by a miniature bolt of lightning coming from Gohan's body. Piccolo withdrew his hand immediately and, fierce scowl written on his face, turned to Bulma.
"What in the hell did you give him, Bulma? He isn't even in his own mind anymore!"
Bulma and Vegeta had both seen the lightning shock Piccolo and were just as puzzled. Bulma looked at Piccolo with a thoughtful frown before responding.
"I gave him the same stuff as last time, Piccolo. And if he isn't in his mind, then where is he? Is he ok?"
Up until now, the two chibis - Goten and Trunks - had been ignored by the adults as they continued to play with their toys in the corner. However, at Bulma's question they both got up and walked over to Piccolo, Bulma, and Vegeta, who were all standing next to Gohan's bed, watching him. Tugging on Bulma's sleeve to get her attention, Trunks spoke up.
"Don't worry mom. Gohan's ok - he'll be back soon. He said he wouldn't be gone long."
Goten nodded in agreement with Trunks' words. Bulma, Piccolo, and Vegeta just stared at the chibis in disbelief. Vegeta was the first to recover.
"What do you mean, boy? How do you know?"
This time it was Goten that spoke up.
"After you gave nii-chan that thing, he went off to a really far away place, and then he told us that he had to do something and that he couldn't talk to us for a little while. He said he had to close off all the links and we shouldn't worry 'cause he'd be back soon. What's a link, aunt Bulma?"
As soon as they heard what the chibis had to say, Piccolo and Vegeta searched for their links to Gohan, quickly discovering that he'd blocked them off. Neither was able to get past the block. While Bulma explained what Gohan had meant by a link to Goten and Trunks, Piccolo and Vegeta were left to wonder where the hell Gohan had gone and, more importantly, why.
While Piccolo and Vegeta were wondering where he was, Gohan was in the white room, waiting for the voice to tell him what was going to happen next.
//Now that you have closed off all outside links, we can begin. A warning: each test is separate from the others. While they may seem the same, each is testing something different. In a few tests, the only way to end the test is to give up, defeat what is there, or be forcibly defeated. You may be sent to alternate realities for some tests. Be assured - everything you encounter is real. Everything you see and come across, for all intents and purposes, will be real. Do not fool yourself into thinking it isn't. //
With that last word, the room became blurry and distorted colors began to bleed into the white. It was a very dizzying display, and Gohan had to close his eyes for a minute for fear of getting sick. When he opened his eyes again, he found that the room had changed. No longer was it pure white: instead, it had shifted to form a lush forest with huge trees and vines growing all over. Gohan could hear birds, as well as the sounds of other animals. Looking around more, he saw a slight trail leading off to one side. Deciding that it was as good a way as any, he began to follow it. After a few moments he reached the edge of the tree line. In front of him was a beautiful lake with a waterfall. Grass led to the sides of the lake, and in the lake itself, there were some good-sized boulders, perfect for sunning oneself. Sprawled in various spots in and around the lake were five beings of varying colors. As Gohan stepped into view, they immediately stopped their laughing and talking to stare at him. Since Gohan was on the opposite side of the lake from the beings, he couldn't really tell what they were or what sex they were.
One of the beings motioned for Gohan to come closer. As Gohan walked around the lake towards the beings, he was able to make out more details. They all appeared to be females, but each one was different from the other. The one that had motioned to him had purple skin with long green hair. Her face was elfin in appearance, with long pointed ears. Running from the left side of her forehead to the right side of her jaw were four green lines that sparkled in the light. Her body was long and slim, wearing what seemed to be an outfit made of leaves covering her chest and her nether regions only.
The being sitting next to her was dramatically different in appearance. Gray skinned, she appeared to be almost made of stone. As if to make up for the slightly gloomy effect, her hair was cut very short close to her head, spiky, and shocking white in color. Unlike the other being, this one's face was not so angular, and she did not have the pointed ears. Her whole body seemed to be covered in tattoos of swirling designs - they even dissapeared under the black leather shorts and tank top she was wearing.
The next being was paying no attention to Gohan whatsoever - in fact, she was busy playing with something in her hands. Her skin was light blue in color, and a beautiful contrast to her dark pink hair that was in a braid to her ankles. Her outfit seemed to be made of scales that reflected the sunlight. She had an upturned nose and eyes like a cat - up tilted at the corners.
By far the most fascinating of the beings was the one that was currently glaring at Gohan as he made his way around the lake. She had bright red skin and long, silky looking black hair. However, sticking out through her hair were two black horns that curled backwards. She bared her teeth in Gohan's direction, and he could see that she had prominent fangs like Piccolo. Behind her a long, thin black tail lashed through the air, almost like a whip, indicating her displeasure. A skirt and a top made of chain mail completed the look, and made her the scariest by far in Gohan's book.
Sitting very calmly next to her was the last being, and the one that looked to be the most peaceful to Gohan. This being had tan skin and yellow hair framing her face in a bob style. Her face was very calm and composed, her blue eyes watching Gohan steadily as he made his way closer. From her back sprouted gossamer butterfly wings made of all the colors in the world. Her attire seemed to be made of the same silk a caterpillar makes into a cocoon. Gohan finally made it to where the beings were waiting, and stopped about ten feet away. He gave a short bow before he began speaking.
"Hello, my name is Son Gohan. Can you please tell me where we are?"
The being that had first beckoned to him, and seemed to be the leader, spoke.
"We know who you are, mortal. You have come here to be tested. We will be your guides through your tests. My name is Yuki. My sister, with the pink hair, is Fides. Next to her, with the white hair, is Meiyo. Tsuyosa has the black hair and red skin, and Kenshin is the one with wings. Are you ready to begin the tests?"
Gohan was pondering the names he had just heard. Yuki meant courage, Fides was honesty in Latin, Meiyo meant honor, Kenshin was commitment, and Tsuyosa was strength. He wondered if the names were of any significance to the tests. Deciding now wasn't exactly the time to figure things out, he nodded to Yuki to indicate that he was ready. Once he nodded, the being that had been introduced as Kenshin got up from her seat on the grass. She flexed her wings once before walking over to Gohan.
"I will lead you through your first test, mortal. Make sure your mind and heart are strong, for that will be what makes you pass or fail in this test."
With that, Kenshin reached out and touched Gohan on the shoulder. Immediately everything began shifting around and getting blurry again. After a few seconds it stopped and everything cleared to reveal Kenshin and Gohan standing on a cliff by the sea. After a moment, Kenshin turned to Gohan. Butterfly wings reflecting the sunlight, she began to speak.
"We are on what you call Earth now - a planet you have defended many times in the past. After your father died, you swore to protect this planet as he did. How firm is your commitment?"
Gohan was a little surprised about how much this being knew about him, but answered the question almost immediately.
"I would give my life if need be to protect this planet and everyone on it."
Kenshin smiled at him before pointing behind him and speaking.
"A noble sentiment, mortal, and it is fortunate you feel that way: because behind you is someone brought to test if what you say is true. Defeat him and your planet will live in peace. Fail and he may do what he wishes."
Gohan turned around only to get kicked straight in the face and sent tumbling back a couple of yards. Getting up quickly, Gohan settled into his stance and looked at his opponent. Gohan's jaw dropped - there, standing where he had been moments before, was Frieza in his final form, and seeming to be a lot stronger than before. Kenshin was sitting on a boulder not far away, watching in interest. Frieza began to speak.
"It has been a while since we last fought, monkey. This time I won't lose, and your mud ball of a planet will be mine."
With that, Frieza attacked. Gohan immediately jumped up to SSJ2 to counter Frieza's new strength. After a few minutes of fierce fighting, with neither fighter landing a hit, they took the battle to the air. Frieza landed the first solid hit by tricking Gohan with a feint. He managed to smack the boy across the back with his tail with enough force to send Gohan crashing into the nearby cliffs. Gohan immediately came back and began attacking Frieza, finally landing his first solid hit with an elbow to the ice-jins face. The battle continued on, neither fighter taking the advantage. Frieza continued to shout insults and threats, but Gohan concentrated on the fight. Then Frieza began to get the upper hand. He managed to wrap his tail around Gohan's neck and capture the boy in a bear hug similar to what Cell had done years before. Gohan still refused to give up, and after a few minutes briefly flared up to SSJ3 - just long enough to break the hold. He finally got an idea on how to beat the ice-jin after he and Frieza finished a ki blast duel. When they next met, Gohan quickly elbowed Frieza in the face and drove a knee into his stomach. Flying back a few feet, Gohan held his outspread fingers up to his eyes.
"SOLAR FLARE"
As he shouted the technique, Gohan formed a destructo disk in one hand and, while the ice-jin was blinded by the solar flare, threw it straight at his head. Frieza had no chance. Krillin's technique sliced straight through Frieza's neck, separating head from shoulders. Just to be on the safe side, Gohan formed a Kamehameha and turned the body to ashes. Bruised, bloody, and a little burnt, he returned to where Kenshin was sitting. As he approached her, she spoke.
"You have passed my test mortal. Your commitment to this world is true and will not waver, even in the face of defeat."
With that, she got up walked over to him, touching his shoulder like before. Again everything around Gohan began to waver and blur, and a moment later the lake with the other beings reappeared. Amazingly, all the wounds Gohan sustained in his fight with Frieza had healed, and his clothes were no longer ripped and torn. Kenshin left his side and walked over to the other beings to address them.
"He has passed my test. It is time for the next one."
As Kenshin sat down, the one Gohan remembered being referred to as Meiyo got up and began walking over to him. The tattoos that covered her body shifted as she walked, making them seem even more swirly than before. She didn't say anything to him as she reached to touch his shoulder and, as the blurriness faded, Gohan found himself standing next to her on a puffy white cloud up in the sky. Meiyo finally turned to him and spoke in a very melodious voice.
"You have passed the first test, the test of Commitment. This is the test of Honor. I can see from the pendant you wear that you are a Saiyan. Your race it not widely held to be honorable, so we shall see how you do. Sit down and we shall begin."
She dropped into a lotus position on top of the cloud and waited for him to do the same. Once Gohan had gotten settled, she drew an invisible symbol in the air before speaking.
"I will ask you questions you will answer them the best you can. If what you say is true, the symbol I just drew will glow green. If what you say is not true, then it will glow red. Answer yes or no then explain your answer. Are you ready mortal."
Gohan was happy he didn't have to fight another enemy, but wasn't too happy about what Meiyo had said about Saiyans and their honor, even though it was probably (for the most part) true. He nodded his head towards Meiyo to indicate his readiness. Meiyo opened her mouth and spoke.
"Do you honor your mother?"
"Yes. I honor her by studying like she wanted me to do and by telling my younger brother about her."
In the middle of the air a green glow came from the symbol.
"Do you honor your father?"
"Yes. I honor my father by taking over the responsibility of protecting our planet so everyone may live in peace."
Again the symbol shone a soft green. Meiyo continued to ask questions, ranging from his honor towards his enemies to his honoring his teachers. After each of his answers, the symbol would glow green. Finally Meiyo had one last question.
"Do you honor yourself?"
Gohan had to think about that at first, but after a moment he responded softly.
"I honor myself by taking pride in what I have accomplished. I honor myself by staying true to my nature, and I honor myself by passing down what I know to others."
The symbol glowed bright green, and stayed green this time. Gohan looked at Meiyo to find her looking curiously at him. It was a moment before she said anything.
"You have passed my test, mortal. You have honor. People who pass the first test often fail during this one. Continue to honor those in your life, and remember to honor yourself."
With that said, she motioned him to stand. As he did, she reached out and touched his shoulder, once again making the blurriness appear before revealing the lake with the other beings once more. Meiyo left Gohan's side to walk over and sit down by the others, calmly announcing the results as she sat.
"He has passed my test. He possesses honor as well as commitment. He is ready for the next test."
After Meiyo stopped talking, the being that Gohan had dubbed their leader, and had introduced herself as Yuki, walked over to him. As she made her way over, she spoke.
"Be prepared, mortal. My test is not easy - steel yourself for a difficult task."
By the end of her sentence she had reached Gohan and laid her hand on his shoulder. Everything blurred then settled, and Gohan found himself standing on a pillar of rock in the middle of a canyon, Yuki by his side. After a moment, Yuki stepped to stand in front of Gohan. She was very tall and able to look him in the eyes as she spoke.
"It is time to see if your courage can stand up to the test, mortal. What is your greatest fear?"
Gohan knew the answer to that immediately.
"That Goten, Marron, or Trunks will get into trouble, and I will fail in helping them."
Yuki pondered that for a moment before making a mysterious wave of her hand and then speaking.
"Look behind me at the canyon, mortal - the first part of your test lays there."
Gohan walked past Yuki to the edge of the pillar and looked into the canyon. On the far wall about halfway down was Goten, standing on a little ledge that had just enough room for him to stand with his back against the wall. When he caught sight of Gohan he began to call out.
"Nii-chan! Help me! I can't get down! I can't fly anymore!"
Gohan whirled around angrily to face Yuki, who was watching with an impassive expression.
"What the hell is this? Why can't he fly?"
Yuki just raised an eyebrow as she responded.
"His powers have been temporarily removed, just as yours have been. I will take you over to the top of the canyon wall, but from there you must do it alone. Do you have what it takes to rescue your brother?"
Gohan was pissed, but helpless to do anything until he got Goten to safety. Yuki waved her hand, and suddenly Gohan was at the top of the wall where Goten was trapped. Immediately Gohan lay down on his stomach and peered over the edge so he could get an idea of how far down it would be. As he spotted the spiky mop of hair that could only be Goten's, he estimated that it was a good fifty feet down from where he was. Luckily as Gohan examined the side of the canyon, he noticed that there were both handholds and footholds. Deciding that it was the only way, Gohan turned around and began to slide over the edge of the canyon wall. Finding his first footholds, Gohan composed himself and began to move down the wall slowly, always making sure of his hand and footholds. With no abilities and no ropes holding him up, if he fell there would be nothing to halt his fall and no one left to save Goten. With that in mind, he was even more careful placing his feet and hands. After a few minutes he was sweating hard with the strain of slowly lowering himself inch by inch and the heat of the sun. Twice he almost slipped when he didn't have a very good foothold, but still he continued on. After about half an hour he was only a foot or two away from Goten, and he could hear the younger boy calling out.
"Nii-chan! Please hurry! I don't like this, I want to go home!"
Gohan climbed lower until he was level with Goten's ledge, but off to the side. Looking at his little brother's tear streaked face, Gohan spoke in a soothing voice.
"I'm here now, Goten. We'll get you out of this, ok? Now, I need you to slowly climb on my back like we're taking a piggyback ride. You're going to have to wrap your legs around my waist really tight, and wrap your arms around my neck - but be careful not to choke me. Then I will climb up the wall and everything will be fine, okay?"
Goten nodded, and Gohan braced himself as he felt his brother begin to climb onto his back, gripping tight to his handholds and footholds because of the extra weight. Once Goten was settled properly, Gohan began the slow, tortuous climb back up the wall. It was both harder and easier than climbing down. This way he could see the hand and footholds, but he also had a lot more weight. It took Gohan almost forty-five minutes to make the climb back up the wall. Finally he did make it, and as soon as he pulled himself over the edge of the wall Goten disappeared and Yuki stood before him. While Gohan continued to pant and drip sweat from his climb, Yuki spoke.
"You are an interesting one, mortal. Most would have given up at that challenge and doomed their loved ones, or not been strong enough to make it all the way, and failed in the end."
"It seems that you have passed my test. You posses the courage that you need, as well as commitment and honor."
She then touched his shoulder, and after the blur cleared they were back at the lake, Gohan feeling refreshed and back to normal. Yuki walked over to the others and announced the result.
"He has passed my test. He has courage as well as commitment and honor. He is ready for the next test."
At Yuki's words Fides, the being dressed in scales, stood up and walked over to Gohan. Her hand just lightly brushed his shoulder as everything blurred and began to reappear. Unlike the last three places, which had all been outdoors, Gohan now found himself to be inside of something. It was a dome shaped room, and the dome itself was glass, through which Gohan could see millions of stars and planets surrounding them. The floor he was standing on was made of a silvery metal, and was very smooth. In the middle of the room was a glowing white orb on a stand. Fides walked over to the orb and, putting one hand on top, she turned back to look at Gohan.
"You have passed three of the other tests, mortal. However - not many can pass mine. Most beings are not honest with themselves and give me false answers. We shall learn if you are honest in what you do. Come, step closer to the orb."
By now Gohan had figured out how things were going. When he had first been introduced to the five beings, he had wondered if their names held any significance, and after three of the tests he was sure he was right. So far each of the beings - Kenshin, Yuki, Meiyo, and now Fides - had tested him on what their names meant. He had been tested on commitment with Kenshin, honor with Meiyo, and courage with Yuki. Now it was apparently time to be tested on honesty with Fides, and he was sure it wasn't just about lying to people. It occurred to Gohan that all of this was very surreal, feeling as if it was part of a dream, yet at the same time he knew it wasn't because of the physical contact. Gohan slowly walked over to stand in front of the orb and looked at Fides questioningly. Fides smiled slightly and began to speak.
"There are two kinds of honesty: honesty towards others, and honesty towards oneself. You must have both to past my test. For the first part you must put your hands on the orb. The orb will show us if you are honest with others."
Fides reached over picked up both of Gohan's hands and gently placed them on top of the orb. Immediately the orb began to change colors, and Gohan felt it start to heat up beneath his hands. In the swirling colors of the orb, Gohan could catch fleeting images of himself through various stages of life - with other people and without. However, the images were gone to fast for him to make out exactly what they were. For the next twenty minutes the orb continued its swirling of images - the heat continuing to grow, but it was nothing Gohan couldn't bear. Throughout the ordeal, Fides kept her eyes on the orb, as if she could see something Gohan couldn't. Which, now that Gohan thought about it, was a very distinct possibility.
A minute later the orb returned to its previous white, and the heat underneath Gohan hands faded. Fides pulled her eyes away from the orb and looked up straight into Gohan's eyes. As she stared at him Gohan was a little freaked out - Fides' eyes had changed so they were like the orb had been a minute ago, a chaotic swirling of colors and images. After another moment of just staring into Gohan's eyes, Fides dropped her gaze back down to the orb and spoke.
"You may take your hands off the orb, mortal. You have passed the first part of the test. You have honesty towards others."
Gohan took his hands away from the orb and was slightly surprised to find them slightly numb. He moved back a couple of steps and tried to shake the feeling back into them. He stopped after a minute and looked up to find Fides looking at him and smiling slightly. He grinned a little sheepishly and shrugged in apology. Fides just smiled a little more before speaking again.
"You now have to pass the second part of this test. Do you have honesty towards yourself? Come over and stand next to me and we shall find out."
Gohan slowly walked over to Fides, and when he was about a foot away she motioned for him to halt.
"Make sure your mind and heart are steady and clear."
She then moved closer to him, gently placing her index and middle fingers on each of his temples.
"I will ask you a question. Think carefully and search your heart and mind before you answer. You may take your time in answering - this is not something to be rushed. Through my contact with you I can determine if you are being honest with yourself in your answer. Are you ready, mortal?"
Gohan took a couple of deep, calming breathes, closed his eyes, relaxed his body, then nodded yes. At his nod, Fides asked her first question.
"Are you happy with what you have become?"
Gohan had been expecting a question like this, but it still made him think. He had to think about everything that he had done with his life so far and just what kind of person he had become because of it. Finally, after running everything through his mind once more, he spoke one word.
"Yes."
White light briefly flared from his temples and Fides' fingers. She smiled, then asked the next question.
"If you could, would you go back in time and prevent your uncle from kidnapping you, and therefore changing the course of your life?"
That was a question Gohan hadn't expected at all. It had never been an issue to him since he knew it wasn't possible. Sure he had wondered what it would have been like if he hadn't been kidnapped, but he never gave it more than a fleeting thought. Looking back now and thinking hard about it, he found his answer.
"No. As much as I don't like what happened, I wouldn't change it because I wouldn't be who I am today, and neither would others around me."
Again white light flared at his temples and Fides' fingers as she worked her powers. Once again she smiled before moving on to the next question.
"Do you have any doubts about your purpose in life at this time?"
Gohan knew the answer to that question immediately, but was stuck trying to figure out how to say it so that Fides would understand it correctly. After a minute, he felt he had it to where she could understand.
"My purpose in life is to protect those around me. In the past I have had doubts as to that purpose because of certain failures in that purpose. Now I have no doubts at all. it is what I was made to do and will always do. I may do other things in my life, but protecting others will always be my focus."
Once more the white light appeared, and when it faded Fides stepped back from Gohan. He opened his eyes slowly to see her smiling softly at him.
"You have passed the second part of the test, mortal. You are honest with your self. In all you have honesty, as well as honor, commitment, and courage. You are very strange for a mortal - you possess qualities that neither human nor Saiyan have much of, and yet they seem to shine through you. Maybe there is some hope left for all."
With that strange comment, Fides walked over to Gohan, again only barely brushing his shoulder. A second later they were back at the lake. Fides walked over and joined the others on the grass, announcing the verdict as she sat.
"He has passed the test. He posses honesty as well as honor, courage, and commitment. He is ready for the last test."
The only being left now was the one introduced as Tsuyosa, and the only one that had flat out glared at Gohan when he had first appeared. She stood up, shaking her black hair behind her as the sunlight glinted off the horns on her head as well as the chain mail outfit she wore. Stepping gracefully around the others, she made her way over to Gohan, black whip-like tail swishing slowly behind her. When she was about a foot away, she stopped and spoke.
"You have made it through all the tests but mine, mortal. Know this: I do not expect you to make it through this one. Only one other has ever done so, and that was quite some time ago. Be prepared to fight."
With that last sentence, she reached out a long red finger and tapped Gohan on the nose. As everything blurred and wavered, Gohan was left wondering what Tsuyosa meant. When everything cleared, Gohan found himself in a desert with scattered rocks and plateaus in the surrounding area. He turned to look at Tsuyosa, only to find her staring at him. As he raised a questioning brow she spoke.
"I find you strange, mortal. You are young - the youngest one to ever come and be tested - and yet you have managed to pass all of the other four tests. You must be very special to fate and destiny for them to send you to us at such a young age. However, to earn our respect you still have this last test to pass. You must prove your strength to me. None of your powers have been blocked, so fight well."
With that, Tsuyosa floated over to a rock and casually waved her hand. Gohan looked in the direction she waved and winced slightly.
Oh shit, this is going to be just a little difficult.
Standing about twenty feet in front of him was Frieza, Cell, the Ginyu Force, android 17, and Cooler. Gohan powered up to SSJ2 and all the villains looked at one another, nodded, and then attacked. Cell and Frieza reached Gohan first, attacking from either side with ki blasts. Gohan quickly shot into the air and began to formulate a plan. As he was trading blows with both Frieza and Cell up in the air, he noticed android 17 and Cooler hanging back while the Ginyu force watched from the ground. Gohan decided to get rid of the weakest fighters first. He slammed his elbow into Frieza's face, causing the ice-jin to fall and hit the ground with a smack, and kneed Cell hard enough in the stomach to leave the android gasping for air. Immediately Gohan raised his hands into an x formation on his forehead and shouted.
"MASENKO HA!"
The blast flew down to where the Ginyu force was standing and, like that coyote on those American cartoons, they just stood there and watched stupidly until the blast hit them. Gohan was then sent plummeting to the ground courtesy of both Frieza and Cell kicking him while he'd been distracted by the Ginyu force. Rolling out from the crater his body had made, narrowly avoiding a ki blast from Cell in the process, Gohan decided he wasn't going to fool around anymore and began to power up. Within a couple seconds, the force of his aura was pushing everyone back. Cell, Frieza, 17, and Cooler were shielding their eyes and trying to stay still - only Tsuyosa seemed unaffected, and was currently watching Gohan with a gleam in her black eyes.
Then Gohan let out a huge scream, and when the light faded he stood there in SSJ3 form. Before they'd even managed to recover from their shock at Gohan's new appearance, Frieza and Cooler were both sent smashing into the ground by Gohan and his newly increased strength and speed. Gohan had only enough time to send a short Kamehameha after Frieza before being attacked by both 17 and Cell. As he was trading punches with 17 and Cell, Gohan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Cooler was getting up from the crater he'd made. Frieza was bloodied, burnt, and looked to be dead, but Gohan didn't count him out quite yet.
Cooler flew up and joined 17 and Cell in fighting Gohan, and it was at about that point that Gohan began to lose. He'd beaten Cell in SSJ2 form before, his dad had beaten Cooler as a Super Saiyan, and 17 had been beaten in SSJ2 form as well - However, combined all three bad guys had enough power and tricks to give Gohan a hard time, even in the SSJ3 form. Gohan still had his trump card to use as a last resort, though. If things got too desperate, he could always open up the door in his mind and access that power. But frankly, that was the last thing Gohan wanted to do, so he pushed himself and powered up all he could and began thinking up strategies, while still trying to hold off Cell, Cooler, and 17.
A couple of blocks and dodges, as well as some punches and ki blasts, later Gohan knew what he was going to do. Putting two fingers to his forehead, he Instant Transmissioned himself out of the way of Cooler's kick and over to Frieza's body. Checking first to make sure the ice-jin was actually dead, Gohan continued with his plan. He grabbed Frieza's body in time to dodge a ki blast from Cell. Using the Instant Transmission again, he appeared behind 17. As 17 whirled around to face him, Gohan threw Frieza's body at the android. Instinctively 17 caught Frieza's body, and in doing so left him wide open to the massive ki blast Gohan had been hiding. The second the blast hit 17 and disintegrated both his and Frieza's bodies, Gohan heard the words.
"BIG BANG ATTACK!"
And was sent slamming into the ground from the attack by Cell. Immediately after hitting the ground, Gohan was attacked by Cooler. Cooler relentlessly began a barrage of punches and kicks, most of which Gohan was unable to dodge or block. After a vicious tail whip by Cooler, Gohan was sent slamming into one of the many large rocks surrounding the area. Almost casually, Cooler sent a ki blast into the rock to blow it up. As the dust from the blast cleared, Gohan, still in SSJ3 form, came stumbling out. He was battered and bloody, but a look of grim determination blazed across his face. Mustering his power together, he flew at Cooler and knocked the ice- jin into a rock far away. Immediately he turned to look at Cell who was grinning triumphantly. Gohan began to charge up a Kamehameha and Cell began to do the same. At the last moment, Gohan copied a move from his father and disappeared, then reappeared right behind Cell, before releasing the blast straight into the androids back.
Gohan's Kamehameha tore through Cell's midsection and sent him flying into the distance. Turning his attention back to Cooler, who'd recovered and was now speeding towards him, Gohan thought back to his earlier test when he fought Frieza alone. He remembered how he had defeated the other ice-jin, and decided that it was worth a try. As Cooler got closer, Gohan held his spread out fingers next to his eyes for the second time that day and, when Cooler was about fifty feet away, shouted.
"SOLAR FLARE!"
Sure enough, Cooler was caught full in the face by the attack and was vulnerable to the two destructo disks Gohan sent careening towards him. One sliced through his neck, and the other through his waist. Unfortunately, this time Gohan wasn't able to disintegrate the body because Cell was back and as good as new. As they traded blows, Cell and Gohan were remembering their last battle together from the Cell games. Then Cell managed to get a good kick in, which sent Gohan into a pile of rocks. When the demi-Saiyan climbed out, he was no longer in SSJ3 form. Instead, he'd been forced to drop into SSJ2. He'd used the other form as much as he could, but his body could no longer generate the energy that level three seemed to require.
Cell was in no better shape than Gohan, even though he was in his perfect form and had increased in strength because of their last battle. Fighting with an SSJ3 Gohan had taken its toll on his energy and body as well. As Gohan finished climbing out of the rocks, Cell landed and both fighters stared at each other with hate filled eyes. Taking in each other's bruised and bloody appearances, as well as assessing the power levels and weak spots, they found each other to be almost equal. Cell was the first to speak.
"You certainly have increased your power, boy, but it still will do you no good. I am the perfect being and I will win this time. There is nothing here to make you angry enough to be able to defeat me."
Gohan just laughed before responding, his clothes hanging in tatters on his body.
"I don't need to be angry to defeat you Cell - I can do it without any other powers. You will never defeat me while I live, and not when I finally come to the after life. You are doomed to be constantly defeated by me."
At those words, Cell let out a scream of rage and the fight was back on. They were going at it with brutal intensity now, and total savagery - holding nothing back and making sure each hit left a mark and caused pain. Neither one had to worry about outside distractions, and each could concentrate completely on the battle. This time Cell didn't have to worry about any other fighters distracting him, and Gohan didn't have to worry about any enemies trying to sneak up behind him.
Almost as if by mutual consent, both fighters moved away from each other and began to charge up Kamehamehas. It looked as if this fight would be decided like the last one had -with a ki blast duel.
"Ka"
"Ka"
"Me"
"Me"
"Ha"
"Ha"
"Me"
"Me"
"HA!"
"HA!"
Both Cell and Gohan shouted the final word of the attack, and their Kamehameha waves clashed. The intense heat generated by the two blasts by itself was incredible, not to mention the sheer size. At first it seemed as if neither beam would get the upper hand, but then Cell's began to slowly inch forward and overpower Gohan's. Gohan just gritted his teeth together and pushed more power into his blast, beginning to push Cell's blast back. Now it was Cell who was gritting his teeth and pouring more power in his blast. Just as Cell began to overpower Gohan again, he heard a scream and felt an enormous surge of power through Gohan's blast, and his last thought before he was overpowered and disintegrated by the blast was;
Damn! That fucking kid beat me again. It can't be possible!
Back on the battlefield, recalling what had happened the last time he fought Cell, Gohan pushed all his remaining energy into a block as the backlash from such a huge blast washed over him. Once it all faded, he uncrossed his arms and slowly descended to the ground. The power from the two blasts had created a crater directly under their feet, so Cell and Gohan had actually finished their battle in the air instead of on the ground. Once he was on the ground, Gohan ignored all of his screaming muscles, bones, and wounds to sit cross-legged and put his chin in cupped hands and just stare at the ground. Strangely enough throughout the whole battle he had been sort of detached from it all. He hadn't felt the overwhelming anger he usually did when he thought of Cell. It was as if all of his emotions had turned off for that fight and now that it was over they were all coming back.
In order to finally overpower Cell, Gohan had to let the door in his mind open up a little to give him that last extra boost of power. Now he was stuck trying to close the door up again. It wanted to continue to open up and release everything inside. Even with the small amount of power Gohan had released, he hadn't been in total control and was now struggling to regain it all. Finally Gohan managed to wrestle control back, and slam the door closed. Just as he was mentally putting the locks down, he sensed another presence near. He looked up to find Tsuyosa standing in front of him, look of admiration on her face. She walked over to him and pulled him to his feet. Once he was standing, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before speaking.
"You are indeed a most amazing mortal. There are not many beings in the universe stronger than the last one you faced. For this test I pulled the people who you deemed were hard fights in the past. It is astounding that you were able to defeat them one on one when you were younger, let alone all of them together now. If I am not mistaken, the last being you battled was the one that cost you your eyesight. Am I correct?"
Gohan was little on the embarrassed side. Tsuyosa hadn't been very confident or supportive of him passing this test, but now that he had she was all praises and sweetness. It was a little unnerving to say the least. Gohan just gave a kind of mental shrug before he answered.
"Yes. I'm a lot stronger now than when I was eleven. We had a ki blast duel like that one and with help from my father I won. At the time, I was so exhausted and drained of power that I couldn't block the backlash, so it burned my face and eyes. Even Dende and the Dragonballs couldn't fix all of the damage and restore my sight."
Tsuyosa nodded in understanding, then reached out and brushed Gohan's shoulder with one hand. Everything blurred, and a moment later they were at the lake where the other four females were staring expectantly at Tsuyosa. She stepped forward, smiled, and spoke.
"He possesses strength as well as courage, commitment, honor, and honesty. He has passed all five tests and is ready to receive our mark."
All five women gathered around Gohan, offering congratulations and praise. Gohan noticed that his clothes had been repaired and all his wounds had been healed, just like they had been after the first fight with Frieza. Fides and Kenshin each gave him a kiss on the cheek along with their congratulations. Gohan really had no clue what he was supposed to do, so he just stood there enduring all of the attention. However, something Tsuyosa had said earlier was bothering him, so he decided to ask.
"Excuse me Yuki, what did Tsuyosa mean by I was ready to receive your mark?"
Yuki stopped in mid sentence and looked at Gohan. The others fell silent as Yuki began to explain.
"To be sent here alone is a great honor that only a very few receive, and to pass even one of the tests is considered to be a great accomplishment. To pass all five tests is the second highest accomplishment in the universe. In order to let everyone know that you did indeed pass all five tests, you will receive a mark that will stay with you forever - even into the after life. Anyone with sensing abilities, no matter how small or untrained, will be able to recognize the mark as something special, and most will recognize it for what it is. Do you understand?"
Gohan was totally surprised - he honestly hadn't expected this whole thing to be as big of a deal as it now appeared to be. He definitely hadn't expected it to be some huge accomplishment in the eyes of the whole universe! So he was still a little dazed when Yuki spoke again.
"Hold out your left wrist with the inside facing up and be ready to receive our mark, Son Gohan."
Gohan numbly held out his left wrist facing upward towards Yuki, who stood in front of him - briefly registering the fact that Yuki had called him by his real name for the first time since he'd come here. On Yuki's right side was Tsuyosa, and on her left was Fides. On Gohan's left side and next to Tsuyosa was Kenshin, and on his right side next to Fides was Meiyo. All five women stretched out their index fingers to touch Gohan's wrist just below his hand. Their fingers formed sort of a box with Yuki's finger in the middle. They all paused for a moment, then Yuki spoke a word in a strange language that Gohan didn't recognize. The other four women responded in the same language, and the fingers touching Gohan's wrist began to glow white. The skin underneath their fingers began to get hot, and just as it was getting unbearable, the light faded and the heat stopped. All five beings stepped back from Gohan and he looked down at his wrist.
Right under his hand on his wrist was a brand new tattoo. It was a circle, and inside the big circle was another smaller circle. Four lines led from the big circle to the smaller one, and all the lines were the same amount of space apart, but the most important thing was the symbols. In each section the lines created there was a symbol. The right one, closest to his hand, was the symbol for honesty. On the left closest to his hand was the symbol for strength. The space on the right closest to the rest of his arm was the symbol for honor, and on the left was the symbol for commitment. Inside the smaller circle in the middle of the big circle was the symbol for courage. Where each being had touched, she had left her mark. Gohan looked up to find that all five females were looking at him questioningly. He smiled and said.
"I love it. It looks great. Thank you for all you have done for me."
And he meant what he said. He loved the way the tattoo looked and thought it was really cool. He could also feel an interesting aura emanating from the tattoo, kind of like the ones that surround King Kai and Grand Kai, but a little different. Yuki smiled at him and spoke.
"It is time for you to go, Son Gohan, and time for you to see a glimpse of what your life will be. You are always welcome in this place, and we wish you good luck in all that you do. Do not forget what you have learned here."
Gohan nodded and bowed to each female, saying his goodbyes. Finally he rose from bowing to Yuki and she waved both hands in the air. Once again, everything surrounding Gohan began to blur. Finally the blurriness stopped and Gohan found that he was back inside the completely white room. Not even a minute had passed before the voice from before began to talk to Gohan inside his mind.
//You are indeed very special, young one. I can feel that you have managed to pass all five tests and receive the mark. It is now time for you to see a glimpse of what you will become in the future. I must warn you to keep in mind that these are only glimpses of a small part of the whole, and most likely wont show major events. Some things may not make senses until they actually happen to you. It will continue to show images up until your death, but it will not show your death itself or the cause. Do you understand? //
At that moment Gohan was so nervous he felt like throwing up. So far throughout this whole thing he had been detached and able to stay calm and do what he had to do to pass the test: now he was faced with looking into his own future, and just the thought of the future gave him butterflies. He took a deep breath and sent a mental yes to the voice to indicate he understood. Out of nowhere a screen similar to a TV appeared. The screen was totally black, then it went to white, and finally to a picture.
The picture was of Gohan playing with Goten, Trunks, and Marron. They were playing tag in the air and Trunks was trying to catch him but couldn't. The scene then switched, and now it showed him and Vegeta in Saiyan armor in an arena. The armor was the interesting thing: Gohan's was black and red, he also had red streaks in his hair. In contrast, Vegeta's armor was black and blue, and the Saiyan prince had blue streaks in his hair. The scene switched again and now he saw himself graduating and being hugged by a girl with black hair and purple eyes. Immediately Gohan knew that the girl was Videl. That scene faded and another one appeared. This time he and Videl were standing in front of a dojo that had their names on it and posing for a picture. The next scene was of Gohan and Videl inside the dojo and teaching some kids martial arts. The scene changed, and in this new one Gohan was older looking, but still very young. He was carrying around a little girl that looked exactly like Bulma with Goten, Trunks, and Marron, who were all older, trailing behind him.
There were more scenes of him and the chibis, as well as some of the other Z fighters and more of him teaching inside the dojo. There was even one of him sparing with Videl. Then there was a scene of him sitting in a chair in front of a cabin out in the woods. Standing by his right side was Piccolo, and on his other side was Vegeta sprawled in another chair. They all appeared to be talking about something. After that scene, the screen went blank once again.
Gohan was puzzled. He had expected to see a lot more - he hadn't even looked like he reached past his late twenties in the last couple scenes. Then he thought back on what the voice had said before he watched the scenes, and came to a conclusion. Just as he was about to voice it out loud, the voice returned.
//You have guessed correctly, young one. You were not shown any more scenes because there were no more to be shown since you cannot be shown your death or your cause of death. Do you have any questions? //
Gohan was still in shock from finding out that he was going to die at such a young age. He had the strangest feeling that it wasn't going to be one of the deaths that could be fixed with the Dragonballs. Shoving all those thoughts to the back of his mind for later, he focused and asked the question he wanted to know.
//Are Videl and I more than friends? Will I have a mate before I die? //
Throughout the scenes, Gohan had noticed that he and Videl seemed to be very close, and he couldn't help but wonder if he would feel something romantic for her in time. The voice sounded almost regretful as it replied.
//Friendship is all you will find in Videl Satan, and no - you are destined to be without a mate. Are there any more questions, or do you wish to return to the normal world? //
Gohan just nodded a yes to the last question. His emotions were beginning to overwhelm him and get the better of him. He didn't trust himself to speak for fear of breaking down. The trauma and stress of all the tests he had gone through, fighting Cell again, as well as finding out that he would die young and without a mate was becoming too much for his mind and emotions to handle. As the white room began to blur and fade, he felt the last bit of control over his emotions slip and as he became aware of the world around him he began to break.
It had been nearly three hours since Gohan had been brought to Bulma's lab and given the tranquilizer. The last time he had been given one Gohan had been up and around two hours later, so Bulma was beginning to get a little worried. They knew that Gohan still wasn't back inside his mind yet, because Piccolo periodically tested the barrier to make sure. Vegeta was also concerned about the boy and wondered what the hell was happening with him. Only Goten and Trunks seemed relatively unconcerned as they played with their toys in the corner away from the adults.
As Piccolo leaned over to check on Gohan once again he notice something on Gohan's wrist taking a closer look with out getting to close Piccolo saw what it was and called out to Bulma and Vegeta.
"Bulma, Vegeta, come over here. Something just appeared on Gohan's left wrist that I think you should see."
Bulma and Vegeta walked over, curious to see what Piccolo was talking about. As they both leaned over to take a look, Piccolo spoke again.
"It's a tattooed circle with another circle inside with some lines and symbols. The only two symbols I could make out were commitment and strength."
Both Bulma and Vegeta looked at Gohan's wrist in surprise, and Bulma stated with some disbelief.
"He didn't have that when Vegeta brought him in a little while ago."
Vegeta nodded and Piccolo reached out to test the barrier around Gohan once again. Surprisingly he didn't get shocked, so Piccolo reached for Gohan's wrist to better examine the tattoo. Extending a finger, Piccolo lightly touched the tattoo. Gohan's reaction was immediate. His body jackknifed into a sitting position, pulling his arm out of Piccolo's grasp. His sightless blue eyes were wide and darting everywhere, as if he thought he could still see. A second later the panicked look on his face faded, and instead his whole expression just crumpled and Gohan retreated to the corner against the wall on the bed dragging the blanket with him. He buried his face in his arms and muffled sobs could be heard from the eighteen-year- old boy rocking himself in a corner.
When Gohan had reacted to Piccolo touching the tattoo, everyone had jumped, including the chibis. Surprise quickly turned to confusion and concern as they watched Gohan fall apart in front of their eyes. They all stood there as they watched him try to stifle his sobs and comfort himself by rocking. Goten and Trunks came over to stand next to Bulma, and even they looked concerned for the first time as they watched Gohan cry. He hadn't cried since Goku had died at the Cell games not even when Chi Chi had died. Piccolo and Vegeta watched helplessly, unsure of what to do. Just then Vegeta heard a tiny whispered voice in his head that could only be Gohan.
//Make them go away.//
Puzzled, Vegeta sent a mental inquiry back..
//Who? //
In return he was given a mental image of Bulma, Goten, and Trunks. Vegeta moved just in time to intercept Bulma as she began to move towards Gohan. Grabbing her arm he softly whispered in her ear.
"The brat wants you and the other two brats to get out of here. He either doesn't want you to see something, or hear something, so take the two brats to the park or something. I'll tell you when everything is fine here."
It was the quickest explanation he could come up with considering he had no idea why Gohan wanted Bulma and the kids out, but it worked. Goten and Trunks, who were still looking uneasily at Gohan, were taken out of the room with Bulma, most likely to go to her parent's house or to a park. Once they had left the room, Vegeta and Piccolo concentrated on the still sobbing teenager. By now the sobs had turned into the dry gasping for breath kind - the kind where you're crying so hard it's all you can do to suck in enough air to breathe. Looking at Vegeta, Piccolo decided to try and calm down the demi Saiyan.
"Gohan, what's wrong? You need to get control of yourself and tell us what happened."
Gohan just continued to rock and dry sob. It seemed as if he hadn't even heard Piccolo's words. Vegeta sighed. He knew something that would most definitely calm the brat down and relax him, but he also knew he would regret doing it in front of the Namek. However, he couldn't really stand and let the brat continue to break down like this. Plus the noise was irritating. So he decided to do it after all. Just before he began, he sent a thought to Piccolo.
//Cover your ears, Namek - you may not like what I'm going to do. //
Vegeta waited a second while Piccolo covered his ears before beginning. Very softly and slowly, Vegeta began to hum in a soothing tone. Slowly the humming began to get louder, and changed pitches back and forth. Then he also began to insert growls almost like counter points along with some soft purrs. Piccolo looked at Vegeta with disbelief. Even with his ears covered, he could hear what Vegeta was doing. Then he looked over at Gohan. He'd been so surprised by Vegeta that Piccolo hadn't noticed that it seemed to be working. Gohan's sobbing had died down as he began to control his breathing once again, and as Vegeta continued the strange song, or melody, Gohan began to calm down even more. He stopped rocking and his tensed up shoulders began to relax. As soon as Gohan's shoulders relaxed, Vegeta stopped his humming and walked over to lean against the wall at the head of the bed nearest to Gohan.
Piccolo was impressed in spite of himself. Little did he know that what Vegeta had done was something Saiyan parents did when their children wouldn't stop crying. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he caught the look on Vegeta's face, he decided against it. Instead he looked down at Gohan. The teenager had stopped sobbing and rocking, but his face was still hidden in his arms. Reaching out, Piccolo gently laid a hand on his shoulder and spoke.
"Gohan, come on: look at me and tell me what happened. Why were you crying just now? What happened to you?"
Gohan's shoulders raised and then dropped down again as he sighed. Lifting his tear streaked puffy face up to look at Piccolo, he held out his left arm and showed them the tattoo as he spoke in a shaky voice choked with tears.
"Do you recognize what this is Piccolo? If you don't, try probing it with your ki - you too Vegeta."
Piccolo and Vegeta both leaned closer to get a better look at the tattoo. Now that all of it was uncovered, they could see the other symbols on it. Before they had seen commitment and honor, but now they could also see honesty, courage, and strength. Piccolo had the feeling that he should recognize the tattoo but couldn't put his finger on it. Both Vegeta and Piccolo examined the tattoo with their ki senses and then actually gasped as they felt the ki infused in the tattoo. Piccolo recognized it as something similar to a Kai's, and Vegeta just felt it as something strange and almost holy. It was Vegeta who spoke up first.
"What the hell is that, and how did you get it, brat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well that is my longest chapter yet. I can't believe it went that long. Actually I wanted to make it longer and include the explanation and talk with Vegeta and Piccolo but thought that it might just be too much to include in a chapter that is already 25 pages. Anyway, I have got to say this: READ THE AUTHOR NOTES at the beginning of the story, they explain some stuff. I have too many people asking me stuff that I have already answered in the authors notes.
Well everyone, it's time for you to let me know what you think of this chapter! Do you like it? Love it? Hate it? Want to flame me? Go ahead and be a reviewer!
Next Chapter: Explanations