Ok, once again, I apologize. I feel like such a bitch for not updating. I know I disappoint many of you and I apologize once again. So, to try and make up for it, I'm posting two chapters at once! Not bad, eh? Well, I shall let you get to reading...I hope you find these new updates satisfactory!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I didn't not get DBZ for Christmas like I asked, though I did get a cute Gohan and Videl poster drawn by my amazingly talented little sister! (She is so amazing. It looks almost like the art style of the show! It even has chibi me in the corner with a laptop, writing! It's so cute! Videl has her arms around Gohan's shoulders and he's blushing...hehehe...so perfectly adorable...wait, wasn't this supposed to be a disclaimer? I better get back to that...) So, anyway, I don't own Dragonball Z, so nobody sue me!
---------Judgment of the Heavens----------
Gohan entered his room, sighing in relief as he sat down on his bed. It seemed he was safe. He had passed the barrier and was on the right side again. Saloman would be none the wiser. Removing his tunic, Gohan laid back on the bed, thinking about the time he had just spent with Videl.
I'm so happy that I got to see her. I just hope it isn't the last time, Gohan thought, knowing what would happen if he failed to free himself from the bonds that were restricting his power and movement. Gohan allowed his mind to wander, fantasizing about getting free and rescuing Videl. Within seconds, he was asleep, worn out from worry over the possibility of being discovered and his activities with Videl.
Gohan slept quietly, his dreams filled with thoughts and images of Videl, happy deep down inside that he had gotten away with what he did and that Saloman would never know. Son Gohan was about to receive a bit disappointment. Gohan woke up with a jump at the sound of the door opening violently, crashing against the wall. He sat up in bed hurriedly and looked to the now open door. He gasped with fear, an emotion he wasn't that familiar with, as Saloman entered the room, fire in his eyes.
"How could you?" Saloman whispered fiercely, advancing on Gohan, "How could you disobey me like that?" Saloman's voice had risen to a yell.
"I'm sorry," Gohan choked out, knowing that Saloman had figured out what he had done and fearing the punishment he was going to receive.
"You're sorry? You have the nerve to go against me and tell me you're sorry? Well, let me tell you something, Son Gohan. I am not someone whose back you should be sneaking behind. Do you understand?" Saloman demanded.
"Yes, I understand," Gohan said, his voice tiny and quiet. Saloman smirked evilly.
"I don't think you do," he said, using his power to lift Gohan off the bed. With a small wave of his hand, Gohan flew across the room and hit the wall hard. Gohan groaned in pain as he slid to the floor, lying on his side. As Gohan struggled to rise to a sitting position, Saloman once again advanced on Gohan again, standing right in front of him once more. Gohan felt himself rising into the air again and prayed that he wouldn't fly across the room a second time. Saloman saw the fear in Gohan's eyes and smiled.
"So, I see you understand the consequences of going behind my back, boy. Don't ever mock my power again! You did something very foolish today, Son Gohan: you lost my trust. I don't understand how I thought I could trust you to respect the boundaries set on you. It was a mistake to think I could trust you," Saloman sneered before smirking once again, "But, you had to have someone help you, someone skilled in magic. Tell me, boy, who was it? Who helped you get outside the barriers I set for you?" Gohan was suddenly afraid for the safety of Jasmore and Ranthyl. Preferring to take the brunt of the punishment for himself, Gohan shook his head.
"I won't tell you who helped me. I'll never tell you!" Gohan said, his hatred of the man in front of him growing with each passing moment. Saloman glared at Gohan's refusal to supply the desired information.
"Well then, if that's the case, I ban you from leaving this room. The original barriers will be set again. You won't be allowed to leave this room," Saloman said, letting Gohan drop to the floor. With a flourish of robes, Saloman turned around and headed for the open door. Once he got there, he paused and turned slightly to look at Gohan.
"I hope you're happy with what you've done," Saloman said, "For you will never be allowed to leave this room ever again!" With that, Saloman left the room, the doors shutting behind him with a loud crash. For several moments, Gohan just lay there on the floor, trying to gather the strength to rise from it. Shaking from the effort, Gohan stood up and walked over to the bed, collapsing upon it, his mind furiously reflecting over the events of the past few days.
I was a fool to accept Jasmore's offer and think I could get away with it. Now look at the situation I've gotten myself into? Now that I'm restricted to my room, I'll never leave this planet. I'll have the Ring of Hanoi around my neck for the rest of my life and Videl will be sacrificed to fulfill Milena's evil plans. Good going, Gohan. You really did a fine job of messing up this entire situation, Gohan told himself as he once again drifted off to sleep, this time a nightmare-filled sleep that would plague his mind for days to come.
***
It was almost time. He knew it. The end of Queen Milena was upon them. When it was time, he would reveal himself to Gohan. And the Judgment of the Heavens will commence and we will see if young Gohan can persevere and save this planet from destruction. He smiled as he thought about what would happen if Gohan won.
This planet will finally be free from chance to decide its disposition. We will finally be able to control the fate of this planet ourselves, he thought, the idea of such a day bringing joy to him. He laughed slightly as he thought of Gohan. If Gohan passed the Judgment of the Heavens, Queen Milena wouldn't know what hit her.
***
-A week later-
He felt like he was dead. With no freedoms, no way of getting out and saving the one he loved, Gohan felt like he'd be better off dead. As time wore on, the idiocy of his actions a week ago became more evident in his mind, his whole being berating himself for his stupidity.
If only I had thought things through. None of this would have ever happened, Gohan thought, I'll never see Videl again. That thought struck a painful chord inside Gohan, causing the tears that had been threatening to spill for days to rise up into his throat. He managed to gulp most of them down, but one lone tear made its way out, trailing down Gohan's cheek and landing on his leg, creating a tiny wet spot on the fabric of Gohan's pant leg. Gohan let out a tiny sniff and wiped the tear trail from his cheek, inwardly chiding himself for being weak.
"Now's not the time for crying," Gohan muttered to himself, "I have to find a way out of here, I just have to." Gohan sighed and bowed his head, his eyes slipping shut.
"Oh please, whatever Kami up there are watching, take pity on me. Please help me get out of this mess. I'll do anything you ask, anything. Just please give me a helping hand," Gohan whispered, taking to praying when nothing else seemed to work. Little did Gohan know that his prayers were about to be answered. He sat on the bed for several minutes, just staring out the window into the night sky, glancing at the stars that he could see.
How different they are here…nothing like on Earth, Gohan thought, homesickness finally getting to him. Suddenly, before Gohan could dwell on his homesickness, there was a light knocking at his door. Wondering at who could be knocking at the door, Gohan turned to look at it.
"Come in, it's locked," he called out, expecting it to open any second. To his surprise, there was another light rapping sound. Now very curious as to why the mysterious visitor wouldn't let himself (or herself) in, Gohan got up and walked over to the door, a wondering expression on his face.
I wonder if I can even open the door with the barrier spell surrounding this room, Gohan thought, stopping in front of the door, his gaze settled firmly on the door handle. With a shaky hand, Gohan slowly reached out for the handle, lightly wrapping his fingers around it and pushing the handle. He swung the door open, pleasantly surprised that he could even open the door at all. Ready to face his visitor, Gohan was confused to see a small key floating in front of him, a small piece of parchment attached to the floating object.
"Weird," Gohan muttered, "What's going on here?" Suddenly, the key started to move into the room, causing Gohan to move aside as he watched it pass him. It stopped in the middle of the room and hovered there, as if waiting for Gohan to do something. Gohan shut the door and walked over to the floating key, snatching it out of the air. With deft fingers, he untied the string holding the folded parchment to the key. He slowly unfolded the parchment and was not surprised to find that it was a note, but curious as to why it was addressed to him.
"Son Gohan," it read, "Please come to the library immediately. There is something important there for you to see. This key I have given you is the key to the small room contained in the library, the room that holds all of the texts that Cresilia finds special and rare. The boundary surrounding your room has been disabled. Do not worry; no harm will come to you. A spell has been placed around you protecting you from any harm. Have no fears for all will be explained tonight."
The note was unsigned and disintegrated as soon as Gohan finished reading it, leaving no hints as to its existence. But Gohan paid no mind to the disappearance of the note; his brain was trying to wrap around the thought that someone wanted to help him so much that they were willing to go through all this trouble just to get him to the library. He was also amazed at the fact that the barrier around his room was disabled and that he could leave once more.
This may be my chance to finally do something, Gohan thought. Although part of him feared Saloman's wrath if he found out that Gohan left his room, Gohan knew that it would probably be the only opportunity that Gohan would get to free himself. His fist tightening around the key, Gohan steeled himself and walked over to the door, opening it with a bold move. Rapidly changing moods, Gohan became wary of his surroundings, checking the hallway to see if anyone was coming that might give him away. Seeing no one, Gohan headed out of his room, elated at the feeling of being out of his room. Though not small nor wanting, the longer Gohan spent in that room, the more he felt like the room was becoming his prison and Gohan didn't like the trapped feeling one bit.
He stealthily navigated his way through the complicated maze of hallways, taking the path to the library that he remembered so well. With his mind racing through the possibilities of what was to happen that night, the trip seemed short to Gohan, seeming to arrive at the large front doors in no time at all. Using what little strength he possessed, Gohan managed to get one of the doors open enough for him to squeeze through into the large library.
Looking around, he found none of the familiar presences of the Warrior-Mages that oversaw the library. Chalking up their absence as an incredible stroke of luck (the kind of which that had seemed to abandon our young hero these days), Gohan moved deeper into the library, heading for the door that he often encountered during his search for books when he was still technically allowed in the library. He took little time in finding it, his memory proving true and leading him straight to where the door was. He gulped as he looked at the door, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized that he was nervous and excited at the same time. This new, unknown benefactor had give Gohan hope that he had lacked for several days.
Gohan opened his fist, allowing the key to rest flat on his palm, and looked down at the simple, bronze object for several moments before placing the key in the lock, hearing the tumblers move as he turned it. With a final click, Gohan knew he had unlocked the door. He pulled the key out and twisted the doorknob, the door opening soundlessly. He walked in, shutting the door behind him, and looked around.
The room was small in comparison to the library, but still a decent size nonetheless. Gohan could feel the power radiating from the room, knowing that there were several books contained within the room that had magical spells cast on them. The room was virtually void of light except for a few torches and a blue glow that was cast over the room. Curious as to what the source of the blue light was, Gohan scanned the room, quickly finding where the light was coming from. He gasped as his eyes settled on the blue, glowing figure.
"Vegeta?" he breathed. He felt as if his eyes were deceiving him. He blinked several times as if to clear his vision so he could really see what was in front of him. In small, stumbling steps, Gohan approached the figure, realizing as he got closer that it really wasn't Vegeta.
This can't be Vegeta. It only looks like him. This man has facial hair while the Vegeta I know does not. But, the resemblance is striking. Are they related? Gohan questioned as he started at the Vegeta look-alike. He stopped about a foot away, looking directly at the figure.
"It's like it's frozen," Gohan said, "a statue, almost." Gohan reached out with trembling fingers and touched the statue, shocked as the blue light surrounding it grew brighter in response to his touch. Gohan pulled his hand away as the statue continued to glow brighter and brighter. With a final flash, the glow disappeared altogether, leaving a live person standing in front of Gohan. He was surprised once again when the copy of Vegeta began to move, slowly as if he hadn't moved in quite some time. He looked around, obviously not knowing where he was. His piercing eyes settled on Gohan, a shiver running down Gohan's eyes as if Vegeta himself were glaring at him.
"You," the man said, "Where am I?"
"You're in a room in the royal library in the palace on Cresilia," Gohan said. The Vegeta clone glared at him still.
"How long have I been here?" he asked.
"I don't know," Gohan answered truthfully, "You were like a statue when I first saw you and you were glowing blue. When I approached you, the blue glow around you disappeared and here you are now. I don't understand what's going on."
"Well," the other man said, "The last thing I remember is having several High Priests surrounding me, putting a spell on me that would keep me frozen for an indeterminable amount of time. I came to this planet to create the peace treaty between Vegetasei and Cresilia."
"What?" Gohan exclaimed.
That treaty was written thousands of years ago! Gohan thought, looking at the man in front of him with disbelief.
"What's so surprising?" he asked Gohan.
"Well, that treaty was created 35,000 years ago. Are you the King Vegeta who negotiated the treaty with the queen at the time?" Gohan asked.
"Yes I am," King Vegeta said, "I can't believe it's been that long since I had the spell cast on me. Tell me, young man, do you know what happened to my planet?" Gohan looked away with a sad face.
"It was destroyed," Gohan whispered, "By an Aiisu-jin named Frieza. He feared the power that the Saiya-jins had, especially the legendary power of a Super Saiya-jin. In order to prevent the transformation from ever happening, Frieza destroyed the planet and most of the Saiya-jins along with it. There were only about 4 or 5 survivors. But, Frieza was eventually killed by what he feared most. My father, recently transformed into a Super Saiya-jin, killed Frieza." King Vegeta nodded in understanding.
"I see," he said with a certain hint of sadness in his voice, "I thought you had the look of a Saiya-jin, young man."
"I'm only half Saiya-jin. My mother is of a race known as humans that live on a planet called Earth. It is very far from here, King Vegeta," Gohan explained.
"Interesting, a Saiya-jin mating with a race not his own. Tell me, what of the other survivors?" King Vegeta asked.
"Well, one of them was my uncle, Raditz. He, another Saiya-jin named Nappa, and your descendent, the Vegeta of this generation, were working for Frieza because they had no other choice. My father was sent to Earth to destroy all of the being living there, but something happened to him when he was little that caused him to forget his mission.
"Raditz came to Earth many years later to check up on the progress that my father was supposed to have made during his time on Earth. Raditz was killed on Earth by my father and, about a year later, Nappa and Vegeta showed up in the pursuit of something that would give them immortality. Nappa was killed by Vegeta after being deemed a failure and Vegeta eventually joined our cause during the final moments of Frieza's life," Gohan said, explaining the situation of the surviving Saiya-jins, "Currently, only my father, my grandfather, and Vegeta are the only full-blooded Saiya-jins left. My grandfather was brought back to life not too long ago. And, now, you are included among those ranks. With no female Saiya-jins alive, the Saiya-jin race will eventually diminish and die out all together, the Saiya-jin blood becoming diluted as those with some Saiya-jin blood reproduce with humans. A sad fate for such a proud race." King Vegeta nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it is. I never imagined the end of the Saiya-jin race to be so dishonorable. It's very disappointing, really, for such a powerful race to be brought down so easily. Had the power of the Saiya-jins diminished that much in 35,000 years?" King Vegeta asked.
"I don't really know," Gohan said, "The last Super Saiya-jin before my father was supposed to have existed 1000 years before that. It had gotten to the point where the Super Saiya-jin transformation became nothing more than a legend and since Frieza was so powerful, it wasn't very hard for him to destroy the planet and its inhabitants. Were there a lot of Super Saiya-jins in your time, King Vegeta?" Gohan asked. The older man nodded.
"Yes, the Super Saiya-jin transformation was a common thing for the people of my time. I myself can go up the third level. Many people could. Children as young as 10 could reach the first level with relative ease," King Vegeta said proudly. Gohan thought about that.
"I wonder why the power of the Saiya-jins decreased over time. There had to be something that caused the Saiya-jins to lose their power. It could have been pride. The stronger they got, the more proud they became, causing them to train less," Gohan said, thinking aloud. King Vegeta just gave a curt nod.
"That seems to be the most plausible explanation for the loss of power of my people. It's just saddening to hear that the Saiya-jin race deteriorated so much after my time. It seems to negate all of the hard work my people undertook in ensuring the safety of future generations," King Vegeta sighed. Gohan looked at the older man with a sympathetic curiosity.
"King Vegeta, what was Vegetasei like during your time? All of the knowledge we have of the Saiya-jin culture is of the time leading up to the destruction of Vegetasei. I'm curious to know about what the Saiya-jins were like on the Vegetasei of your time." King Vegeta smiled.
"Well, it is apparent that the Saiya-jins of my time were much stronger than the Saiya-jins that were destroyed with the planet. A good number of us were warriors, including the women as well. Women were given all of the opportunities that the men were given. I knew several women, including my own mate, who were almost as strong as me. But, one did not have to be a warrior. One could go into any of the other fields that were offered when a Saiya-jin was young. Though all Saiya-jins trained, some were better suited for research or medicine instead of the art of war," King Vegeta explained, slightly annoyed when Gohan interrupted him.
"Yeah, that sounds like what Bardock, my grandfather, told me about what Vegetasei was like when he was growing up. Except many of the Saiya-jins were very weak, most of them not even close to reaching the Super Saiya-jin status. A lot of that has changed with the Saiya-jins and the offspring living on earth. Though I am half-breed, I can ascend to the third level like my father can. Vegeta can reach the second level and I think that my younger brother and Vegeta's son are almost to the breaking point of becoming first level Super Saiya-jins. It just seems like there is a sudden outburst of Super Saiya-jins or something," Gohan said, thinking about the recent Super Saiya-jin trend that had begun with Goku's transformation several years ago.
"Well, it requires a certain amount of not only energy, but emotion and drive to become a Super Saiya-jin," King Vegeta explained, "It seems to me that many of the Saiya-jins living on Vegetasei before its destruction were confident in their power and didn't feel the need to extend their powers. It's almost as if they figured their position in space secure enough so that there was no race their equal." Gohan laughed at that.
"I find that rather ironic," Gohan said, "Especially considering how there are several humans living on Earth that are stronger than most of the Saiya-jins living at the time of Vegetasei's destruction." King Vegeta shook his head.
"Like I said, sad, isn't it?" he said. Gohan opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as the door to the room opened, flooding the room with light from the library.
"I knew you were the one, Gohan. Seeing how King Vegeta is awake confirms my suspicions about you," a familiar voice from behind called out. Gohan turned around and for the second time that day was shocked at what stood in front of him.
"Saloman?"
--------------------
I know that wasn't too interesting of a chapter, but it's just something to keep the plot moving onto the more interesting parts. So, Saloman's good, huh? You guys probably all knew that, though, so it shouldn't be a surprise. You should have been able to figure it out...I think. I mean, for me, it was pretty obvious but that's only because I wrote the silly thing! Well, there's another chapter following this. I figure it's the least I can do for not updating in a while. Life's just been so hectic and I'm so tired lately that writing becomes a chore instead of a hobby. I keep trying, but life just gets in the way. I need to allot myself some time to just write everyday. Then, maybe, I'll actually get on top of updating more often, ne? Well, enough of the author's notes. Go on to the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I didn't not get DBZ for Christmas like I asked, though I did get a cute Gohan and Videl poster drawn by my amazingly talented little sister! (She is so amazing. It looks almost like the art style of the show! It even has chibi me in the corner with a laptop, writing! It's so cute! Videl has her arms around Gohan's shoulders and he's blushing...hehehe...so perfectly adorable...wait, wasn't this supposed to be a disclaimer? I better get back to that...) So, anyway, I don't own Dragonball Z, so nobody sue me!
---------Judgment of the Heavens----------
Gohan entered his room, sighing in relief as he sat down on his bed. It seemed he was safe. He had passed the barrier and was on the right side again. Saloman would be none the wiser. Removing his tunic, Gohan laid back on the bed, thinking about the time he had just spent with Videl.
I'm so happy that I got to see her. I just hope it isn't the last time, Gohan thought, knowing what would happen if he failed to free himself from the bonds that were restricting his power and movement. Gohan allowed his mind to wander, fantasizing about getting free and rescuing Videl. Within seconds, he was asleep, worn out from worry over the possibility of being discovered and his activities with Videl.
Gohan slept quietly, his dreams filled with thoughts and images of Videl, happy deep down inside that he had gotten away with what he did and that Saloman would never know. Son Gohan was about to receive a bit disappointment. Gohan woke up with a jump at the sound of the door opening violently, crashing against the wall. He sat up in bed hurriedly and looked to the now open door. He gasped with fear, an emotion he wasn't that familiar with, as Saloman entered the room, fire in his eyes.
"How could you?" Saloman whispered fiercely, advancing on Gohan, "How could you disobey me like that?" Saloman's voice had risen to a yell.
"I'm sorry," Gohan choked out, knowing that Saloman had figured out what he had done and fearing the punishment he was going to receive.
"You're sorry? You have the nerve to go against me and tell me you're sorry? Well, let me tell you something, Son Gohan. I am not someone whose back you should be sneaking behind. Do you understand?" Saloman demanded.
"Yes, I understand," Gohan said, his voice tiny and quiet. Saloman smirked evilly.
"I don't think you do," he said, using his power to lift Gohan off the bed. With a small wave of his hand, Gohan flew across the room and hit the wall hard. Gohan groaned in pain as he slid to the floor, lying on his side. As Gohan struggled to rise to a sitting position, Saloman once again advanced on Gohan again, standing right in front of him once more. Gohan felt himself rising into the air again and prayed that he wouldn't fly across the room a second time. Saloman saw the fear in Gohan's eyes and smiled.
"So, I see you understand the consequences of going behind my back, boy. Don't ever mock my power again! You did something very foolish today, Son Gohan: you lost my trust. I don't understand how I thought I could trust you to respect the boundaries set on you. It was a mistake to think I could trust you," Saloman sneered before smirking once again, "But, you had to have someone help you, someone skilled in magic. Tell me, boy, who was it? Who helped you get outside the barriers I set for you?" Gohan was suddenly afraid for the safety of Jasmore and Ranthyl. Preferring to take the brunt of the punishment for himself, Gohan shook his head.
"I won't tell you who helped me. I'll never tell you!" Gohan said, his hatred of the man in front of him growing with each passing moment. Saloman glared at Gohan's refusal to supply the desired information.
"Well then, if that's the case, I ban you from leaving this room. The original barriers will be set again. You won't be allowed to leave this room," Saloman said, letting Gohan drop to the floor. With a flourish of robes, Saloman turned around and headed for the open door. Once he got there, he paused and turned slightly to look at Gohan.
"I hope you're happy with what you've done," Saloman said, "For you will never be allowed to leave this room ever again!" With that, Saloman left the room, the doors shutting behind him with a loud crash. For several moments, Gohan just lay there on the floor, trying to gather the strength to rise from it. Shaking from the effort, Gohan stood up and walked over to the bed, collapsing upon it, his mind furiously reflecting over the events of the past few days.
I was a fool to accept Jasmore's offer and think I could get away with it. Now look at the situation I've gotten myself into? Now that I'm restricted to my room, I'll never leave this planet. I'll have the Ring of Hanoi around my neck for the rest of my life and Videl will be sacrificed to fulfill Milena's evil plans. Good going, Gohan. You really did a fine job of messing up this entire situation, Gohan told himself as he once again drifted off to sleep, this time a nightmare-filled sleep that would plague his mind for days to come.
***
It was almost time. He knew it. The end of Queen Milena was upon them. When it was time, he would reveal himself to Gohan. And the Judgment of the Heavens will commence and we will see if young Gohan can persevere and save this planet from destruction. He smiled as he thought about what would happen if Gohan won.
This planet will finally be free from chance to decide its disposition. We will finally be able to control the fate of this planet ourselves, he thought, the idea of such a day bringing joy to him. He laughed slightly as he thought of Gohan. If Gohan passed the Judgment of the Heavens, Queen Milena wouldn't know what hit her.
***
-A week later-
He felt like he was dead. With no freedoms, no way of getting out and saving the one he loved, Gohan felt like he'd be better off dead. As time wore on, the idiocy of his actions a week ago became more evident in his mind, his whole being berating himself for his stupidity.
If only I had thought things through. None of this would have ever happened, Gohan thought, I'll never see Videl again. That thought struck a painful chord inside Gohan, causing the tears that had been threatening to spill for days to rise up into his throat. He managed to gulp most of them down, but one lone tear made its way out, trailing down Gohan's cheek and landing on his leg, creating a tiny wet spot on the fabric of Gohan's pant leg. Gohan let out a tiny sniff and wiped the tear trail from his cheek, inwardly chiding himself for being weak.
"Now's not the time for crying," Gohan muttered to himself, "I have to find a way out of here, I just have to." Gohan sighed and bowed his head, his eyes slipping shut.
"Oh please, whatever Kami up there are watching, take pity on me. Please help me get out of this mess. I'll do anything you ask, anything. Just please give me a helping hand," Gohan whispered, taking to praying when nothing else seemed to work. Little did Gohan know that his prayers were about to be answered. He sat on the bed for several minutes, just staring out the window into the night sky, glancing at the stars that he could see.
How different they are here…nothing like on Earth, Gohan thought, homesickness finally getting to him. Suddenly, before Gohan could dwell on his homesickness, there was a light knocking at his door. Wondering at who could be knocking at the door, Gohan turned to look at it.
"Come in, it's locked," he called out, expecting it to open any second. To his surprise, there was another light rapping sound. Now very curious as to why the mysterious visitor wouldn't let himself (or herself) in, Gohan got up and walked over to the door, a wondering expression on his face.
I wonder if I can even open the door with the barrier spell surrounding this room, Gohan thought, stopping in front of the door, his gaze settled firmly on the door handle. With a shaky hand, Gohan slowly reached out for the handle, lightly wrapping his fingers around it and pushing the handle. He swung the door open, pleasantly surprised that he could even open the door at all. Ready to face his visitor, Gohan was confused to see a small key floating in front of him, a small piece of parchment attached to the floating object.
"Weird," Gohan muttered, "What's going on here?" Suddenly, the key started to move into the room, causing Gohan to move aside as he watched it pass him. It stopped in the middle of the room and hovered there, as if waiting for Gohan to do something. Gohan shut the door and walked over to the floating key, snatching it out of the air. With deft fingers, he untied the string holding the folded parchment to the key. He slowly unfolded the parchment and was not surprised to find that it was a note, but curious as to why it was addressed to him.
"Son Gohan," it read, "Please come to the library immediately. There is something important there for you to see. This key I have given you is the key to the small room contained in the library, the room that holds all of the texts that Cresilia finds special and rare. The boundary surrounding your room has been disabled. Do not worry; no harm will come to you. A spell has been placed around you protecting you from any harm. Have no fears for all will be explained tonight."
The note was unsigned and disintegrated as soon as Gohan finished reading it, leaving no hints as to its existence. But Gohan paid no mind to the disappearance of the note; his brain was trying to wrap around the thought that someone wanted to help him so much that they were willing to go through all this trouble just to get him to the library. He was also amazed at the fact that the barrier around his room was disabled and that he could leave once more.
This may be my chance to finally do something, Gohan thought. Although part of him feared Saloman's wrath if he found out that Gohan left his room, Gohan knew that it would probably be the only opportunity that Gohan would get to free himself. His fist tightening around the key, Gohan steeled himself and walked over to the door, opening it with a bold move. Rapidly changing moods, Gohan became wary of his surroundings, checking the hallway to see if anyone was coming that might give him away. Seeing no one, Gohan headed out of his room, elated at the feeling of being out of his room. Though not small nor wanting, the longer Gohan spent in that room, the more he felt like the room was becoming his prison and Gohan didn't like the trapped feeling one bit.
He stealthily navigated his way through the complicated maze of hallways, taking the path to the library that he remembered so well. With his mind racing through the possibilities of what was to happen that night, the trip seemed short to Gohan, seeming to arrive at the large front doors in no time at all. Using what little strength he possessed, Gohan managed to get one of the doors open enough for him to squeeze through into the large library.
Looking around, he found none of the familiar presences of the Warrior-Mages that oversaw the library. Chalking up their absence as an incredible stroke of luck (the kind of which that had seemed to abandon our young hero these days), Gohan moved deeper into the library, heading for the door that he often encountered during his search for books when he was still technically allowed in the library. He took little time in finding it, his memory proving true and leading him straight to where the door was. He gulped as he looked at the door, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized that he was nervous and excited at the same time. This new, unknown benefactor had give Gohan hope that he had lacked for several days.
Gohan opened his fist, allowing the key to rest flat on his palm, and looked down at the simple, bronze object for several moments before placing the key in the lock, hearing the tumblers move as he turned it. With a final click, Gohan knew he had unlocked the door. He pulled the key out and twisted the doorknob, the door opening soundlessly. He walked in, shutting the door behind him, and looked around.
The room was small in comparison to the library, but still a decent size nonetheless. Gohan could feel the power radiating from the room, knowing that there were several books contained within the room that had magical spells cast on them. The room was virtually void of light except for a few torches and a blue glow that was cast over the room. Curious as to what the source of the blue light was, Gohan scanned the room, quickly finding where the light was coming from. He gasped as his eyes settled on the blue, glowing figure.
"Vegeta?" he breathed. He felt as if his eyes were deceiving him. He blinked several times as if to clear his vision so he could really see what was in front of him. In small, stumbling steps, Gohan approached the figure, realizing as he got closer that it really wasn't Vegeta.
This can't be Vegeta. It only looks like him. This man has facial hair while the Vegeta I know does not. But, the resemblance is striking. Are they related? Gohan questioned as he started at the Vegeta look-alike. He stopped about a foot away, looking directly at the figure.
"It's like it's frozen," Gohan said, "a statue, almost." Gohan reached out with trembling fingers and touched the statue, shocked as the blue light surrounding it grew brighter in response to his touch. Gohan pulled his hand away as the statue continued to glow brighter and brighter. With a final flash, the glow disappeared altogether, leaving a live person standing in front of Gohan. He was surprised once again when the copy of Vegeta began to move, slowly as if he hadn't moved in quite some time. He looked around, obviously not knowing where he was. His piercing eyes settled on Gohan, a shiver running down Gohan's eyes as if Vegeta himself were glaring at him.
"You," the man said, "Where am I?"
"You're in a room in the royal library in the palace on Cresilia," Gohan said. The Vegeta clone glared at him still.
"How long have I been here?" he asked.
"I don't know," Gohan answered truthfully, "You were like a statue when I first saw you and you were glowing blue. When I approached you, the blue glow around you disappeared and here you are now. I don't understand what's going on."
"Well," the other man said, "The last thing I remember is having several High Priests surrounding me, putting a spell on me that would keep me frozen for an indeterminable amount of time. I came to this planet to create the peace treaty between Vegetasei and Cresilia."
"What?" Gohan exclaimed.
That treaty was written thousands of years ago! Gohan thought, looking at the man in front of him with disbelief.
"What's so surprising?" he asked Gohan.
"Well, that treaty was created 35,000 years ago. Are you the King Vegeta who negotiated the treaty with the queen at the time?" Gohan asked.
"Yes I am," King Vegeta said, "I can't believe it's been that long since I had the spell cast on me. Tell me, young man, do you know what happened to my planet?" Gohan looked away with a sad face.
"It was destroyed," Gohan whispered, "By an Aiisu-jin named Frieza. He feared the power that the Saiya-jins had, especially the legendary power of a Super Saiya-jin. In order to prevent the transformation from ever happening, Frieza destroyed the planet and most of the Saiya-jins along with it. There were only about 4 or 5 survivors. But, Frieza was eventually killed by what he feared most. My father, recently transformed into a Super Saiya-jin, killed Frieza." King Vegeta nodded in understanding.
"I see," he said with a certain hint of sadness in his voice, "I thought you had the look of a Saiya-jin, young man."
"I'm only half Saiya-jin. My mother is of a race known as humans that live on a planet called Earth. It is very far from here, King Vegeta," Gohan explained.
"Interesting, a Saiya-jin mating with a race not his own. Tell me, what of the other survivors?" King Vegeta asked.
"Well, one of them was my uncle, Raditz. He, another Saiya-jin named Nappa, and your descendent, the Vegeta of this generation, were working for Frieza because they had no other choice. My father was sent to Earth to destroy all of the being living there, but something happened to him when he was little that caused him to forget his mission.
"Raditz came to Earth many years later to check up on the progress that my father was supposed to have made during his time on Earth. Raditz was killed on Earth by my father and, about a year later, Nappa and Vegeta showed up in the pursuit of something that would give them immortality. Nappa was killed by Vegeta after being deemed a failure and Vegeta eventually joined our cause during the final moments of Frieza's life," Gohan said, explaining the situation of the surviving Saiya-jins, "Currently, only my father, my grandfather, and Vegeta are the only full-blooded Saiya-jins left. My grandfather was brought back to life not too long ago. And, now, you are included among those ranks. With no female Saiya-jins alive, the Saiya-jin race will eventually diminish and die out all together, the Saiya-jin blood becoming diluted as those with some Saiya-jin blood reproduce with humans. A sad fate for such a proud race." King Vegeta nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it is. I never imagined the end of the Saiya-jin race to be so dishonorable. It's very disappointing, really, for such a powerful race to be brought down so easily. Had the power of the Saiya-jins diminished that much in 35,000 years?" King Vegeta asked.
"I don't really know," Gohan said, "The last Super Saiya-jin before my father was supposed to have existed 1000 years before that. It had gotten to the point where the Super Saiya-jin transformation became nothing more than a legend and since Frieza was so powerful, it wasn't very hard for him to destroy the planet and its inhabitants. Were there a lot of Super Saiya-jins in your time, King Vegeta?" Gohan asked. The older man nodded.
"Yes, the Super Saiya-jin transformation was a common thing for the people of my time. I myself can go up the third level. Many people could. Children as young as 10 could reach the first level with relative ease," King Vegeta said proudly. Gohan thought about that.
"I wonder why the power of the Saiya-jins decreased over time. There had to be something that caused the Saiya-jins to lose their power. It could have been pride. The stronger they got, the more proud they became, causing them to train less," Gohan said, thinking aloud. King Vegeta just gave a curt nod.
"That seems to be the most plausible explanation for the loss of power of my people. It's just saddening to hear that the Saiya-jin race deteriorated so much after my time. It seems to negate all of the hard work my people undertook in ensuring the safety of future generations," King Vegeta sighed. Gohan looked at the older man with a sympathetic curiosity.
"King Vegeta, what was Vegetasei like during your time? All of the knowledge we have of the Saiya-jin culture is of the time leading up to the destruction of Vegetasei. I'm curious to know about what the Saiya-jins were like on the Vegetasei of your time." King Vegeta smiled.
"Well, it is apparent that the Saiya-jins of my time were much stronger than the Saiya-jins that were destroyed with the planet. A good number of us were warriors, including the women as well. Women were given all of the opportunities that the men were given. I knew several women, including my own mate, who were almost as strong as me. But, one did not have to be a warrior. One could go into any of the other fields that were offered when a Saiya-jin was young. Though all Saiya-jins trained, some were better suited for research or medicine instead of the art of war," King Vegeta explained, slightly annoyed when Gohan interrupted him.
"Yeah, that sounds like what Bardock, my grandfather, told me about what Vegetasei was like when he was growing up. Except many of the Saiya-jins were very weak, most of them not even close to reaching the Super Saiya-jin status. A lot of that has changed with the Saiya-jins and the offspring living on earth. Though I am half-breed, I can ascend to the third level like my father can. Vegeta can reach the second level and I think that my younger brother and Vegeta's son are almost to the breaking point of becoming first level Super Saiya-jins. It just seems like there is a sudden outburst of Super Saiya-jins or something," Gohan said, thinking about the recent Super Saiya-jin trend that had begun with Goku's transformation several years ago.
"Well, it requires a certain amount of not only energy, but emotion and drive to become a Super Saiya-jin," King Vegeta explained, "It seems to me that many of the Saiya-jins living on Vegetasei before its destruction were confident in their power and didn't feel the need to extend their powers. It's almost as if they figured their position in space secure enough so that there was no race their equal." Gohan laughed at that.
"I find that rather ironic," Gohan said, "Especially considering how there are several humans living on Earth that are stronger than most of the Saiya-jins living at the time of Vegetasei's destruction." King Vegeta shook his head.
"Like I said, sad, isn't it?" he said. Gohan opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as the door to the room opened, flooding the room with light from the library.
"I knew you were the one, Gohan. Seeing how King Vegeta is awake confirms my suspicions about you," a familiar voice from behind called out. Gohan turned around and for the second time that day was shocked at what stood in front of him.
"Saloman?"
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I know that wasn't too interesting of a chapter, but it's just something to keep the plot moving onto the more interesting parts. So, Saloman's good, huh? You guys probably all knew that, though, so it shouldn't be a surprise. You should have been able to figure it out...I think. I mean, for me, it was pretty obvious but that's only because I wrote the silly thing! Well, there's another chapter following this. I figure it's the least I can do for not updating in a while. Life's just been so hectic and I'm so tired lately that writing becomes a chore instead of a hobby. I keep trying, but life just gets in the way. I need to allot myself some time to just write everyday. Then, maybe, I'll actually get on top of updating more often, ne? Well, enough of the author's notes. Go on to the next chapter!