This chapter is somewhat of a buffet line, a collection of different elements, all of which are advanced, but none of which are explored in detail. It should work, nonetheless, as two important things do happen in this chapter. Expect the beginning of another arc next week, most likely.
Dreamwraith... I assure you that you're being paranoid. Flowers for Algernon was a great book, and I love all the subtle changes communicated through the story. But it's not for me. Besides, there are things going on that you aren't aware of at the moment.
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Goku's Journal Date: 92.15.5
Things have changed ever since that night. Yes, I can now say complete love. 18 understands now as well. I've been very worried about being hasty, but I just realized that it has been almost a year that we've been living together, almost three years since we first met. We both continue about our jobs, but now things are different.
She's still apparently cold, but that's all a part of her as well. And it's just one more thing that I love about her, as I have grown to. I've seen what is beneath, the side that has as much emotion as anyone else. The two feelings are slowly realizing their relationship as one person, and we will soon have the best possible combination.
The dome is working well; I think we'll need it soon. 18 informed me that the ozone layer is now rapidly becoming thinner. It has started to make a difference. I noticed a certain area above one of the factories the humans have set up is very weakened. In fact, there will be a hole soon, with consequences unknown to me. The amount of dark ki coming from the area could be enough to make one, with just a single incident. I'll have to watch it carefully.
Love is an interesting thing, especially when both people feel it. I'm not sure what my relationship with Chi-chi was, but it wasn't anything like this. Vegita told me once that he understood love and I didn't. Maybe I didn't, but he certainly didn't either. But now I can say, without a doubt, that this is love. For a brief while I feared this was a twisted sort of infatuation, but there's more of a chance of going too far in the other direction than that. This somehow brings a final closure to Vegita, and I can feel that his spirit has been laid to rest with me.
18's Journal Date: 92.7.1
Love? When Dr. Gero created the androids, I don't think that was one of the emotions that he intended. I realize now the full extent of how incredibly twisted his mind was, nothing but hate could survive inside it. But none the less, I have emotions other than his hateful ones. Sorrow, remorse, pity. Yes, even love. I've gone beyond what I was intended to be.
At first I thought I wanted to be human, but Goku helped me realize that what I wanted was humanity. And one of the last places I'd get that was from humans themselves. I have become something better, and I'm very happy with my decision. Now all that remains is to take my life wherever it leads.
Walking to the most shadowy corner of his room, Goku opened a drawer. Dust flew off at his touch, as it had been so long since he had touched this particular drawer. For a very good reason. There was only one thing inside, one old but well-preserved picture.
It seemed so long ago that he had taken it from Bulma's wall. He had made no effort to mend or replaced the shattered glass. Something about it seemed so fitting, so right. Most of all, it was the truth. All that his life had formerly been, had shattered. But now he was rebuilding. Amidst all the pain and destruction, things were slowly improving. Maybe it would take his life to remake the world, but if it did, he would die happy.
This was from the past. Even if Goku could mend the picture, the relationships it represented, he wasn't sure he would. Those things were behind him now. Smiling slightly, Goku replaced the broken picture, closed the drawer, and walked from the room.
Tapping a key, Goku checked on the ozone layer. He blinked; the hole had finally made its way through, and it was now striking the factory itself. Zooming in on it, Goku realized that the building was on fire. The computer calculated that exactly 500 people were inside. The building didn't look too stable, either.
"18!" he yelled, zipping downstairs. "The factory finally caught fire. There are 500 people inside!"
18 floated up and followed him up as they flew out into the night sky. Goku gestured with two fingers to his head and 18 understood. Instant Transmission would be much faster. He had taken the time to teach her that technique. It was very efficient for getting places fast.
They both appeared outside the flaming building. Everyone able was running away, not caring about those inside. Both of them started teleporting into the building, grabbing as many people as they could and warping out. After putting them in a big group, they went back in for more. The flames were chemical and sometimes flared green and blue, leaving lines across their vision. Still, it couldn't hurt either of them at all. For almost half an hour, they moved in and out, making as many survivors as possible.
When the building collapsed on itself, they had gotten all but a dozen of the people out. Goku searched the building for signs of ki, but there weren't any. At least they had gotten a lot of them out. Both he and 18 stood by the ashes and lumps of metal that remained of the building. Goku pulled out a small box and pressed the button on the center. Miles away, the metal dome under their house shifted and rolled over the top, shielding it. The sun was already starting to send rays through the ozone. This slow hole, a break of concentrated hatred, would be much easier than another way would have been. At least it wouldn't wipe out humanity for good now.
"Saiyan!"
"Android!"
Both of them turned to see a group of people, including those they had rescued, standing in front of them, no longer a scared clump, but an angry, seething mob. A rock flew, hitting Goku in the eye. It bounced off, and Goku didn't even blink. Undaunted, the crowd threw more rocks in their direction. They showered off them uselessly, but the mob seemed unwilling to relent.
Hoping no one would get hurt, or 18 would hurt someone, Goku created an energy shield around both of them. 18 touched it as well and added her own energy. The result was a silvery white dome that spread over them. The humans outside tossed rocks, but they evaporated into steam when they touched the bubble.
Inside, Goku smiled and bent down into the rubble. Taking a large hunk of coal from a small fire still burning, Goku held it in one hand. Concentrating, Goku started crushing his hand together. 18 looked closer, a bit puzzled. Then Goku opened his hand and she understood. Carbon made coal, lead and diamonds. Diamonds were made only under extreme pressure. The kind Goku could provide. In his hand he held one large, perfect diamond. Stepping closer to 18, Goku held it out, a silent question. The ultimate question.
Smiling back at him, 18 took the diamond, giving him the answer he already knew. It blazed with incredible brilliance, somehow reflecting off of the light in their eyes. They both raised two fingers to their foreheads and vanished. The energy bubble vanished as well, leaving a few attackers hitting it suddenly stumbling in the rubble, falling flat on their faces in ash.
"Blech!" Hercule spat out a clod of dirt from his mouth. Disgusting!
Goku and 18 appeared in the house again. Their house. It was time to start new lives, still with pain and sorrow, still with more suffering, but now there was someone else there to bear it with them.
Piccolo smiled, walking slowly through the grass in the Afterlife. He could have flown, but he didn't necessarily want to be fast right now. It was harder to reflect when you were traveling that fast. Piccolo smiled again; there really wasn't anything to dampen his mood anymore. Of course, there was still one major event to happen, and who knew what sort of cards his opponents would pull, but he wasn't worried.
At least Goku had someone to be with right now. It wasn't good for him to take so much hate alone. 18 was a lot better than Chi-chi, whom Piccolo had never liked anyway. Now Goku had someone who could not only fight, but understood the truth as well. Much less susceptible to emotions. Not that he was the great judge of love, but they seemed to be a perfect match. Yeah, they'd be fine. He'd be fine, things were going just fine.
Sitting down on a ledge, Piccolo sat there, gazing out over the world. Things were in bad condition, due to the lack of ozone, but that was okay. The three people in the galaxy that he cared about, himself, Goku and 18 were all very safe at the moment. Yes, life, or rather death, was good.
Dai Kioshin was not having nearly as good of a time. Gritting his teeth and pacing, he moved in a circle around his observing chair. He'd done everything he could to keep them apart, and they had resisted the entire way. Partially because of that stupid Namek.
Glancing up, Dai Kioshin saw Piccolo sitting on top of a cliff. Piccolo waved cheerily, sending him into a fuming rage. He had done that just to irritate him. Well, his cards weren't all out yet; it was time to lay his full hand on the table. It was going to be a gloves-off fight, with Goku matched against an opponent he could not possibly defeat. It was only a matter of time...
Checking the condition of the planet, Goku made sure everything was in working order, then stepped out to the balcony with 18 and nodded. Both blasted off and flew away from the dome, landing in an empty wasteland. They both touched down, dust whirling away as they dropped to the ground again. Things seemed too dry, but the sky was cloudy and looked promising.
"This time," Goku explained, "don't hold anything back. Full power for both of us."
Energy flooded out from both of them, then they clashed, the shock waves sending dust hurtling from the point of impact. The fight was explosive, with both putting all their energy into attacking. Eventually Goku's blows began to connect more frequently, and 18 was sent tumbling backward and through a pillar. Gasping for breath, Goku landed and signaled for the fight to end. She managed to get to her feet, and stood beside him, slowly regaining her energy.
"Why do we do it that way?"
"What?" Goku looked over at her from the side of his eyes.
"I mean why do we do a fight like this, whereas the rest of the time we're on lower power mainly just slugging on each other?"
"Oh." Nodding, Goku straightened up. "It has to do with the most effective method of training. When you need a lot of power in a short amount of time, it is best to just train constantly, as in never stopping. But over longer periods of time, that loses effectiveness. Not only is it bad for you, it doesn't actually raise your power level as much. However, this does tend to put power into latency."
"And this lets it back out again. You give quite a bit of thought to training, don't you?"
He merely grinned and continued. "Balance is generally the best path to follow. I think I've got about the perfect amount of training, and it really helps to have someone to spar with. While I'm don't claim to know everything, I think we have about the best training we can get now. Just a matter of keeping it up."
"You ready to fight again?"
"If you are."
Both were still a bit tired from the last fight, but they had enough energy regenerated from their rest to attack a fair amount. One of 18's haymakers hit Goku on the jaw, and instead of slowing his flight he allowed himself to continue tumbling backward.
18 followed up, and was struck as he suddenly turned on power, flying directly at her. Crashing through a building, the combatants moved steadily closer to the city. Goku was mentally relieved no one lived here, because they were causing an incredible amount of damage. He managed to knock 18 down to the ground, and the shock waves caused buildings adjacent to them to fall and collapse.
Neither had noticed the sky, which had been growing darker as they fought. Now a torrent of rain came down, drenching them both. For a while they kept fighting, but then mutually determined to rest until the rain had ceased. Landing on the no-longer parched ground, Goku found shelter underneath a fallen building. Pushing out an aura, Goku dried them off and then sat down next to the wall of rain marking the entrance. The two of them just stared out into the rain for a while, as outside the rain became steadily thicker and thicker.
"I've been wondering," 18 asked after a while. "What's the link between your power and anger? At certain times you've gotten extremely angry, and then at others, not at all. It doesn't seem to always have a direct correspondence to your power. Can you explain that to me?"
"Sort of. For a saiyan, anger is really just a tool. It helps you reach the next level of power. The strange thing is, the less angry you are, the more effective your fighting becomes. Like before, it's a delicate balance. In general, I generate anger from any reason I can get, and that helps me get closer to the next level. But at a certain point, the key thing is to stop becoming dependant on anger for power, and the less you are, the more focused your power becomes."
"When have you been really angry, not just generating anger?"
"Not sure. Sometimes it blurs together. In general, I don't get extremely angry. Is there a reason you asked?"
"Not in particular. Curious, I guess."
"Hm. To finish, anyway, anger is generally the key to unlocking a different type of Super Saiyan but otherwise a liability."
"There's more than two? I just knew of the normal one and then the next level."
"You know, now's as good a time as any to explain." Goku got up and gathered an aura, then stepped outside. The rain pattered against the outside of it, sizzling off into steam.
"The first level is just normal Super Saiyan, the most basic version." Without flinching, Goku suddenly powered up, his hair exploding in power and his aura becoming a golden color. He went on, "Between this and the next level are a few other things that ultimately fail. I think this next level is generally called Super Saiyan stage 2. You shouldn't see any difference except it's stronger."
"What form did I first see you in?"
"Somewhere between this and a little bit more." Goku thought about that, then nodded, "that sounds right. Anyway, the next step is Ultimate Super Saiyan."
There was a flash and Goku's muscle mass increased greatly, nearly to the point of grotesque.
"What's that?" 18 asked, vaguely disgusted.
"You probably haven't ever seen Ultimate. I discovered it training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, while you were in Cell. The form is seriously flawed, as I've poured too much power into my strength, and my speed had been decreased greatly. Very ineffective."
Powering down, Goku's aura whirled around him a second as his muscles contracted to a more ordinary size, then he nodded. "This is Master Super Saiyan, about as effective as you can become before going to the next stage . Not as strong as Ultimate, but the speed is far greater. Plus, it doesn't drain as much energy."
"I haven't noticed your energy draining any more in Super Saiyan." As far as she could tell, it didn't drain any more energy than normally. Goku shook his head.
"I wasn't being coherent. Actually, it does drain more. The difference is that I get more energy from the transformation than I lose, so I actually have a greater amount. I wouldn't ever use a form that would drain more energy than I do normally."
"Smart. That was the problem with most of the other warriors."
Goku just nodded, and quickly moved on. "However effective this is, Super Saiyan 2 is the next level. I'd also call this an Ascended Super Saiyan."
His aura burst out even further, now burning the buildings around them. His muscles grew slightly, as did his hair, and a few locks hung over his face, blowing gently in the energy around him.
"I'm trying to keep my power around myself," Goku explained. "But at this point I start losing some of my control. This could get explosive. Anyway, now everything has increased greatly. It's a very balanced form, just in general. I got to here when I killed Cell."
"Anything else?"
"I think there is, but I haven't reached it. But I figure that if there's a second level, there could be a third. Still, I seem to be running into a wall on that one. I'll show you what I mean."
Growling in generated anger, Goku threw his head back and allowed the energy to rip through the area around him. Inside buildings, glass shattered and eventually the buildings began to shatter themselves. Energy waves began flowing from around him, and 18 felt it run through her, vibrating every bone in her body. The rain in almost the entire city was being evaporated before it got anywhere near them.
The next wave was gigantic, and 18 had to brace herself. Feeling his ki, it was enormous; her own was enveloped inside it. Around them the city was in ruins. Even miles away in the last human city, people saw a brilliant light, and any with the ability to sense ki went into shock.
Stopping, Goku breathed heavily for a while, but couldn't keep up that level of energy for long before it decreased. He dropped the form altogether, allowing himself to return to normal. The rain no longer fell, as if reluctant to even try again.
"That was as close as I can get," Goku breathed heavily. "And I'm not sure what the problem is. I'd think I have sufficient anger to do it, but there's always the possibility that I need an incredible amount."
"Does it have to require anger?" 18 asked, and Goku looked at her strangely.
"That's a thought," he seemed to mull it over in his mind a second. "I suppose it could be. Maybe for the next level, calm is even more important than anger. It's definitely a possibility, but Super Saiyan generally doesn't work that way. It could also be a fundamental issue of power."
"That isn't enough?"
"Well, if I didn't want to make sure my energy drain and energy gain were constant, it'd probably get easier. But I don't want myself to sacrifice that just to reach another level. Actually, it might be worth it, if this is as strong as I think it will be. Still, I think I'll stick to my guns this way."
"I have to say, that was impressive."
He smiled, and nodded. "Thanks."
They moved back out from where the city had been, now both fairly rested. Goku looked tired from his explanation, but didn't seem to mind. As soon as they were at the wastes again, they attacked, and continued training. Powerful shocks blast from the area, and the ki residue lasted for a long time.
Dai Kioshin was shocked at the amount of power that had been displayed, but was far less worried than he had been. There would be a major problem taking him out, but ultimately it would never affect his plan. Evil and the Legendary One would show their faces, and things would work out. A black wind blew past the planet, and Dai Kioshin shuddered. It was as if something was coming that would change everything. No. Everything was going to be alright, there would be no new problems.
Still, the saiyan's progress disturbed him; disturbed him very much indeed.
Slightly deeper than reality, a Darkness began to form. Time had marched inexorably on, its power had rose and fell. The plan headed closer to completion, and no one was the wiser for it. There were a few, of course, who disrupted the greatest work, but the majority were helpfully working toward the goal.
Things had not gone as well as they could have. One important link in the plan had been destroyed, and another had failed. Despite all efforts, an aura of stability was slowly building on Earth. Now, however, that hardly mattered, as there were other planes of existence that would offer far less resistance. Yes, that was the way to go. There would be far more power there, and perhaps a certain opponent could be eliminated.
Reality and super-reality touched for an instant, and events were set into motion. Setbacks were to be expected, but they meant nothing in the face of the entire war. In the end the universe would all be as it had once been. Nothing.