Bound
Chapter 12
Um... taps microphone I don't own them. smiles innocently Now for the moment of truth...
The light slowly ebbed as Goku cracked his eyes open slowly as light winds ruffled through the atramentous locks of hair on his head. He wasn't in any pain in the slightest; the Lookout on the other hand looked as though a hurricane hit it. The whole sanctuary was in shambles with parts of the walls, trees, and even the plants themselves were littering the grounds. No longer bound by the tainted chi that kept him from being able to get out of the Dragon God's way moments earlier, he looked around as he saw all of his allies staring in absolute horror. Following their stares, his eyes fell upon the limp form in front of him as the last remains of dust settled to reveal...
"Gohan!" yelled Goku as he ran to his eldest son and knelt down at his side.
"No..." moaned Goten weakly as Gohan shuttered from the blood covering his bare chest that had a hole in it. Goku barely felt himself running towards his eldest son; his mind was completely in denial of what just happened. "Gohan... my brother..."
"Gohan," whispered Goku as he knelt down to his son's side and held him in his arms. "Why did you do it? Why did you sacrifice your life for mine?"
"You did the same for me when I was a boy," said a bloody and near-dead Gohan as he coughed up blood. "I thought I'd repay the favor for you..."
"Don't say that," croaked Goku; his voice breaking from the strain of trying not to cry in front of his son. "I failed to protect you as a child. I should have taken the blow."
"No," gasped Gohan as he raised a shaking hand towards his father's arm and weakly grasped it. Goku flinched slightly at the blood that coated his hand as some was transferred to his arm by the single touch. Flesh vibrated against pure muscle due to the weakness within the young man that had seen, but never experienced death himself until that moment in time. Now, as he laid dying in front of the warriors that were like a family to him in a way, he was dying a warrior's death upon the battlefield within the heavens themselves. "You need to live... father... for Earth... please..."
The warrior's eyes became completely blank and the hand fell away as Goku nearly cried out in anguish. The lifeless look in the young man's eyes told the warrior that his eldest son was dead. Tears threatened to fall from Goku's eyes; if he hadn't of blinked them away in frustration; the same eyes that once held pure innocence and happiness before Sin, the arrogant tyrant, stole that from him mercilessly. Everyone was quiet and paid their respects to the warrior's sacrifice, including Goten as the tears ran down his face silently.
Dark laughter pierced the silence around the warrior as Goku glared at Dende; who was at that time smirking evilly with the Godly dragon hovering over him like an obedient pet. The Earthen warriors consisting of Krillin, Tien, Chou-su, and Yamcha had finally appeared on the Lookout. They seemed completely lost in what was going on before Dende spoke up and they grew even more confused.
"It seems your son took the blow intended to kill you," said Dende as Goku growled a warning to the God-like being.
"Gohan's dead?" said Krillin on the sidelines in pure shock. "Then why are we here?"
"We're here in case Goku needs us," said Tien.
"Oh yeah," said Krillin.
"Why is Dende against us though?" said Yamcha.
"It's because Sin brainwashed him," said Shin bitterly.
"Was that the same person that kidnapped Goku?" said Chou-su.
"The very same," said Shin as the Earthen warriors gasp.
"You bastard!" hissed Goku as the veins popped up on the tense muscles. "You'll pay for killing my son!"
"His death was in vain though," said Dende with acid dripping in his voice. "Your death should have been the thing to prepare for the lives of the people on Earth to be destroyed."
The more the God talked, the angrier Goku grew as the golden aura surrounded his tense body. Goku's eyes suddenly flashed aquamarine and his hair stood on end like an invisible force was keeping it suspended in mid-air without wavering once. By the way it looked at that moment, it was as though he was fighting a battle within his soul not to kill the one who killed his son.
"You won't kill them," hissed Goku as the golden light exploded around him as he ascended quickly into Super Saiya-jin 3 without a pause or rest in between. His golden-tinged tail wrapped tightly around his narrow waist to keep the Dragon God from grappling it in the battle he was about to take alone; that was if a voice of reason hadn't of interrupted just then.
"Son! Don't be reckless!" yelled Piccolo. "He's only angering you to make you lose!"
"The Namek's right!" yelled Vegeta. "We need to fight together as a team!"
"We've been with you for years, Goku," said Tien as the other warriors agree with the three-eyed warrior.
"If not, we'll all fail and Earth will be..." started Piccolo before he noticed Goku turn and face them with tears on his face. Vegeta and Piccolo gasped as they saw the mightiest of warriors shed tears of sorrow on the battlefield.
"If that's the case, I rather die than to let Sin win," said Goku sternly before turning his back on his allies. "Give me some time to prepare the Genki Dama."
"What?!" said Vegeta and Piccolo.
"You can't do it in that form though!" said Krillin. "You need calm in order to summon the Genki Dama or you'll be destroyed!" Goku threw his arms up in the air as he began to concentrate; still in the adulterated form and ignored the ex-monk's pleas. "Stop!"
"I won't give you time to summon the Genki Dama's power," said Dende as he prepared to use Shenlong to attack again when two child-like voices were heard.
"FU-SION! HA!"
Dende noticed too late and was blinded by a light along with the other warriors, sans Goku who had his eyes closed in pure concentration. Out of the blinding light, a new figure emerged as his hair was a blend of Goten and Trunks' hair. Powering up to Super Saiya-jin, that answered the warrior's questions on whom the boy was, but they didn't know who to call the boy.
"What magic is this?" cursed Dende in pure anger.
"This is not magic," said the child-like warrior in a mix of two voices. "This is the forgotten art of Fusion. My name is Gotenks and I shall be your opponent!"
"Like a mere boy can stop me," scoffed Dende. "Shenlong! Transform into your humanoid form and attack the traitors of Sin as well as the other warriors!"
"As you wish," Shenlong said as the light surrounded his body and he shrunk down to around Piccolo's stature. As the light ebbed, a humanoid face that looked similar to Freeza's was seen. Shenlong in his humanoid form looked far different than anyone could imagine. His skin was white as snow as he wore forest-green fighting gear trimmed with gold. A red sash bound his waist and black hair with green highlights in them. His eyes maintained their red hue as he wore black combat shoes with red wrappings on his feet. A slender green tail protruded from his back like it shouldn't exist on any life form.
"This is Shenlong in his humanoid form?" said Piccolo. "How can this be?"
"A good question indeed," said Shenlong in a softer, more pronounced voice that seemed more clear and precise to understand compared to the booming voice he usually possessed as the Dragon God himself. "You see when Dende merged his power with mine; he also made it possible so that I can take on a human-like appearance if needed."
Goku, in the meantime, was concentrating as the sweat ran down his face from the concentration of holding the Super Saiya-jin 3 form and summoning the Genki Dama. Above him in the sky, a huge sphere-like object was forming as the Earth-raised Saiya-jin was trying not to fold under the strain of summoning the Genki Dama; the same Genki Dama that King Kai taught him over a decade ago. If King Kai himself knew of the dangers of summoning the Genki Dama in the adulterated state that Goku was in at that moment, he would have been yelling at his student and telling him not to do it. Or perhaps he did know his student's fate at the moment...
"GOKU! STOP IT! YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP TRYING TO DRAW THE GENKI DAMA INTO YOURSELF WITHIN THAT STATE!" yelled King Kai as he tried to reach the saner side of Goku to make him realize what he was doing.
"There's nothing you can do to talk him out of it," said Grand Kai. "He doesn't know that he has to be in an unadulterated state to summon the Genki Dama. In any case, he's upset about his son's death to worry about the side effects of what the battle will do to him."
"If only we can talk him out of it," said King Kai.
"Then let me talk to him then," said a voice as King Kai looked up.
"YOU!" cried King Kai. Gohan, standing there with a halo over his head, seemed worried about his father's fate on Earth.
"Please," said Gohan. "I need to or else he'll destroy himself!"
"Very well," said King Kai as he turned around. "Just place your hand on my back and concentrate your thoughts to him.
"Thank you," said Gohan as he did what his father's teacher asked.
Dad! Don't do it!
Goku opened his eyes in shock. The pain was blinding him during the summoning as he felt like he was dying a slow and painful death. "G-Gohan?!"
King Kai says that you can't summon the Genki Dama in that state any longer or else you'll destroy yourself!
"But..." started Gohan.
Please dad... Please live...
Goku was shocked by his son's plea as he let go of Super Saiya-jin 3 and felt the heavy strain of summoning the needed chi for the Genki Dama.
"I will, my son," said Goku as he continued the process.
Meanwhile, Gotenks was staring down Shenlong and trying to find an opening as the former Dragon-like being lunged at the fusion and knocked him down.
"He's too fast!" said Piccolo as Gotenks got up. "How can you expect to win?"
Gotenks laughed. "I only let him get that hit in to see how strong he was." With a battle cry, Gotenks ascended into a Super Saiya-jin 3 as the others stared in shock.
"H-how did you do it?" said Krillin.
"You mean ascend into a Super Saiya-jin 3?" said Gotenks as he looked angrily at Shenlong. "Sin killed all of you and that was how I ascended into this form! Unless we stop Dende and Shenlong, he'll bring back Sin to destroy this planet again!"
"We need to fight together even though Son thinks he can take him down with the Genki Dama by himself," said Piccolo.
I'm with all of you now, said Goku through telepathy. Lend me your strength and I'll lend you the power of the world.
Everyone turned around and saw Goku standing there with the Genki Dama over his head as it almost seemed as though it gained strength from the solar system alone.
"Kakarot," said Vegeta quietly.
"Please," pleaded the Earth-raised Saiya-jin as Shenlong saw the Genki Dama and gasped.
"You won't have their power!" roared Shenlong as he fired an energy blast at Goku. Unable to dodge or block, he was hit by the blast as the Genki Dama suddenly dissipated into thin air.
"NO!" cried Piccolo as Goku fell to the ground near-death itself and no longer able to stand again. "SON!"
"Hmph," said Shenlong as he grabbed Goku by the front of his torn shirt. "So this is the legendary warrior that is to destroy me..."
"I still can," groaned Goku in pain.
"What can you do possibly do in your condition anyway?" said Shenlong before he threw Goku towards the other warriors. Goku moaned in discomfort as his body skipped across the ground painfully. At that moment, Gotenks' fusion dissolved as Goten ran to his father's side.
"Daddy!" cried Goten with tears in his eyes. Though the boy had treated his father with disrespect when he first met him, he came to terms with the carbon copy of himself through the battle when Shenlong himself killed his brother.
"How touching," said Shenlong. "I think I'll kill the boy that hated you next..."
"Stay away from him!" cried Vegeta as he got into Goten and Goku's way. "You won't kill Kakarot or his spawn, you freak!"
"Really?" said Shenlong. "And what might you, the Prince of a Fallen Race, do about it when I am told to kill everyone in the first place?"
"Whatever the hell I want to take a bastard dragon down," growled Vegeta as he transformed in an Ascended Super Saiya-jin and lunged at the God-like beast that had mortally wounded a barely living Goku. Goten was crying as Piccolo placed his hand upon the fallen warrior's chest.
"He won't make it unless we have a Senzu Bean," said Piccolo.
"Korin said that he didn't have any left, so there's nothing we can do to save him," said Krillin.
"There... is one thing... you can do..." wheezed Goku weakly. "You got to... let Shin heal me..." Shin was shocked.
"Even if I do heal you, it won't be enough because I gave you my chi earlier!" said Shin.
"You have to try though," said Goku as he coughed up some blood.
"Very well," said Shin as he concentrated and a light energy surrounded Goku's body as the small scratches started to fade.
"Let me help," said Piccolo as he started channeling his chi into Goku in a form of healing energy as the fatal wound in his right lung was starting to heal. Kibito, who was against sparing the Saiya-jin earlier, joined in as he knelt down to the warrior's side quietly and contributed in healing Goku. The last of the wounds healed as he started to breathe easier until he was able to breathe normally again.
"Thank you guys," said Goku as he got up again as he powered up again and nearly blew the three that helped him away with his aura. Vegeta, meanwhile, was losing a battle as he is thrown into a pillar and chained there by energy rings.
"Let me... go!" growled Vegeta as Shenlong smirked.
"Not until you submit to Sin's rule," said Shenlong as his eyes flickered and Vegeta moaned in pure pain.
"N-never you f-f-freak!" groaned Vegeta.
"Perhaps I shall encourage you otherwise," said Shenlong. Before Vegeta could do anything, he was assaulted by the pain-filled memories of his past when he used to work for Freeza himself. He saw the monster before him starting to shape-shift as he grew afraid of the monster that had beaten and raped him when he was only a child when he misbehaved standing before him twice as powerful as he used to be.
"N-no!" cried Vegeta as he feared for his life. Before Shenlong could do anything in Vegeta's helpless state, Vegeta heard a war-filled scream through the illusion...
"VEGETA!" cried Goku as he kicked Shenlong away from Vegeta as the illusion faded and the energy rings dissipated from his wrists. Shenlong flew into a standing structure that folded in on itself upon impact as it came raining down on the God-like beast.
"Kakarot," said Vegeta as he saw the fully healed Goku in Ascended Super Saiya-jin; breathing hard after being healed from death's doorstep and saving his prince from harm.
"Are you all right, Vegeta?" said Goku as he saw a frown on his face.
"Whatever," growled Vegeta. "That bastard is going to pay!"
"Not quite," said Shenlong as he emerged from the rubble that fell upon him. Some dirt and blood was on his face as he looked at them in pure bliss. "I still can defeat you."
"How when you're outnumbered?" said Piccolo as the other warriors surrounded Shenlong.
"Dende can bring me back if needed," said Shenlong. "So your attempts will be in futile."
'I need time to prepare the Genki Dama again,' thought Goku. 'If I can try to gather the energy again, maybe I...'
"You won't, Kakarot," growled Shenlong as he trapped Goku in a magical barrier.
"Son!" growled Piccolo.
"Inside that barrier, he'll be brainwashed again," said Shenlong.
"No!" cried Tien. "If he's brainwashed again, he'll..."
"Yes!" laughed Shenlong. "He'll become evil again!"
"Not if I can do anything about it!" yelled Vegeta as he shot a blast at the crystal, but it remained perfectly flawless.
"You cannot damage it," said Shenlong. "Even as we speak, he's losing himself in there and will emerge as Kakarot again for good!"
Inside the crystal itself, the horrible statement ringed true. Goku was getting brainwashed again by false illusions as he tried to go against them. Feeling the control fading, he almost gave in entirely...
You can't give in...
Kakarotto?
If you do, your friends, the Earth you vowed to protect, will be gone...
How can I get out then?
Believe in your power and break free...
Goku opened his eyes as he saw a full moon in front of him as he felt a shutter run through his body.
Though this is an illusion, draw upon its power and use it to take down that damn dragon!
What will happen to me after I transform?
You'll win.
Shenlong laughed at the tense warriors remaining on the battlefield as they waited patiently for the end due to their savior being sealed within the tainted crystal. It was futile for them to take on the God-like beast without Goku, but they had no hope or no plan of action. Dende cackled evilly. He knew he had the upper hand and could easily send Shenlong to wipe them out in one blow, but he decided to prolong their torture and savor victory for himself.
"Shenlong! I want you to kill Shin first for he is the one that had turned Goku against us!" barked Dende as Shenlong smiled evilly.
"If that's your wish, then I shall grant it," said Shenlong. Shin, knowing it was futile slid into a battle stance and waited for the end.
A cracking sound was heard as Dende turned and saw the once flawless crystal have cracks inside of its surface and more were appearing at an alarming rate.
"What in the fuck-?" said Dende before the crystal shattered; scattering the dark material upon the warriors and Lookout. A roar shook the Lookout's surface as the warriors looked up in pure horror.
"It can't be!" roared Shenlong. Hovering above the warriors was Goku in his Oozaru form as he stared with bloodthirsty eyes at his allies.
"AHHH!" cried Krillin. "Goku's transformed!"
"This isn't good," said Piccolo. "Son has no control over this form."
"Does this mean we'll all die?" said Goten.
"Yes," said Piccolo.
Things looked grim for the protectors of Earth. It seemed that a double threat to annihilate Earth seemed possible. Even if Shenlong himself was controlled, Goku had no control and even if Shenlong were defeated, there would be no stopping Goku within the form he holds.
Okay. Maybe it seems kind of illogical for Goku to become an Oozaru upon the Lookout when the air is pretty thin, but the Lookout has been kind of blown down several thousand feet after Shenlong tried to kill Goku the first time. I mean come on! The Lookout's had been reduced to a few tiles with Piccolo trying to cling to it to remain in the sky at one point! Speaking of which, can't Piccolo fly if Buu destroys it or is he trying to save what's left of it? I still wonder about that scene to this very day. Anyway, on to reviews:
Psy: sighs as she gives up trying to take Goku away from her Well, I DID give away some of the secrets in this chapter by giving you a peek at what's to come didn't I? (And the fact I DID tell you what was going to happen in advance to get your opinion...) the readers grow angry at her as the authoress gets to the next review
Gokugirl9: You can't blame Dende for being an idiot. He's been brainwashed and he's only doing what he's supposed to do. It was hard for me to write Gohan's death scene as well because I didn't want to make Goku so out of character. Hopefully, that was just right...
DBZ Chick1: Okay. I killed Gohan. Go me. waves a banner as other Gohan fans protest Hey! He'll be back. NEXT YEAR! dodges tomatoes as she gets to the next review
Luna's Meow: Thanks. I hope you like this chapter to make up for the teaser!
So anyone interested in not having a teaser this time around? gets a lot of cries of protest over the idea Just kidding! Here's the teaser!
"Yes! Kill them all, Kakarot!" shrieked Dende. Goku looked down at the others as Shin lunged at Goku in pure vain. Catching the warrior like a fluttering butterfly, Goku was held the dynasty within his giant hands. "Make them suffer! Shenlong! Let us reek havoc on the Earthlings!"
"As you wish, my master," said Shenlong as both he and Dende flew off, leaving the warriors to contend with Goku.
"Kakarot! You monster!" yelled Vegeta. Goku opened his hands and plucked the Kai by the back of his shirt as he cried out in terror. Opening his gigantic mouth, Goku dropped the Kai in and snapped his mouth shut as he chewed the dynasty to death.
"CANNIBAL!" roared Kibito in pure rage at Goku. He smiled evilly down upon the insect-like warriors and almost seemed to chuckle a rather dark chuckle.
"Wait a minute," said Piccolo. "If that's true, then Shenlong would have disappeared."
Dark laughter was heard as Shenlong lifted up his head and fired a blast at Vegeta, hitting the Saiya-jin Prince. All eyes were on Vegeta as he went flying into a cliff side and was mortally wounded in the chest. His hold on the ascended form was lost as blonde hair faded back to black in moments.
"So is this a former father's way of punishing your own son?" said Shenlong.
"You're no son of mine since I technically disowned you the moment I fused with Kami," scoffed Piccolo.
"Hm, I wonder who would win the fight between us," said Shenlong with a smirk on his face as he slid into a fighting stance.
"We'll just have to wait and see," said Piccolo.
Hopefully, that will leave some of you in suspense until the next chapter is finished. I know this is getting darker and darker by the minute, but there will be more coming soon! So stay tuned!